Page 78 - 2 November 2012

Bodacious Dash gave Ricky Ramirez his first million-dollar win in the 2010 Texas Classic Futurity-G1.
futurities, but, Trey said, in the finals, they just couldn’t make it happen. “We were getting a little depressed, and one day I finally said to Ricky, ‘Seems like we just can’t get back to the winner’s circle!’
“Then in the tenth race that night, Bodacious Dash won the Texas Classic,” Trey added. “That seemed to be the stepping stone for the bigger races. It was a stroke of luck and then things just started clicking really good for us.”
Ramirez and Trey ended the 2010 season
as Leading Jockey and Leading Trainer for the 2010 Fall Meeting of Champions for American Quarter Horses at Lone Star Park.
hiTTinG his sTride
Call it luck. Call it building confidence. Call it answering the challenge, or ironing out the kinks of a young relationship—whatever it was, Ramirez had hit his stride.
He followed the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity-G1 win with an admirable second atop Jess Send Me (Feature Mr Jess-Send Me First, First Down Dash) in the $2.4 million All American Futurity-G1 at Ruidoso Downs in September 2011.
Then, in November 2011, he brought Miss Racy Jess (Mr Jess Perry-Miss Racy Vike, Racin Free) to the wire ahead of the pack to win the Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1, with a purse of just under $1 million. That same year, he was also the regular rider aboard Paint Champion Flashthechicks for owner Shirley Wheeler and trainer Luis Villafranco.
In May 2012 Ramirez rode BP Cartels
Alibi (Corona Cartel-My Ladys Alibi, Chicks Beduino) to a win in the $1.1 million Heritage Place Futurity-G1 at Remington Park, and then at Ruidoso, finished second in the $2.2 million All American Derby-G1 aboard Hez Our Secret (First Down Dash-Secret Separation, Separatist), and seventh in the $2.4 million All American Futurity-G1, again riding BP Cartels Alibi.
Since 2003, Ramirez has ridden the winners of 603 races and the earners of more than $13 million from 3,593 starts (as of July 31, 2012).
Of all his mounts, Ramirez names Bodacious Dash, now retired to stud, as his favorite.
“The biggest race I’ve won was on him; my
first million-dollar race,” he said. “He’s just an awesome horse to be around.”
raCeTraCk relaTionships
Ramirez loves life on the racetrack as much as he loves riding. “I get to spend a lot of time with my family and people that I like; travel
After winning her trial (above), Jess Send Me went on to finish second in the All American Futurity-G1.
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SPEEDHORSE, November 2, 2012
Ricky Ramirez and Champion Flashthechicks won the 2011 Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1.
Dustin Orona Photography Stacy Pigott: Speedhorse Lone Star Park