Page 87 - 2 November 2012

Valley Junction Futurity-G3
RIDe My wAGon
by Michael Compton
Ride My Wagon entered the $209,751 Valley Junction Futurity at Prairie Meadows on Oct. 13 as the fastest qualifier in the field of
10. The improving daughter of PYC Paint Your Wagon needed every inch of the 350 yards to defeat a tenacious HH Guns Drawn and Her Painted Wagon by a nose in a thrill- ing three-horse photo finish.
Sent off as the tepid 3-1 favorite, Ride My Wagon, leased by John
Hudson, closed from fourth
position early to get on terms
with HH Guns Drawn and Her Painted Wagon in the late stages. Prevailing by the slimmest of margins on the line, she covered the distance in :17.674, after recording a clocking of :17.682 in win- ning her trial by one length. She was piloted by David Brown, who rode her for the first time in the trial.
The winner was saddled by
trainer Stacy Charette-Hill, who enjoyed a ban- ner evening, also sending out Corona Mit Go
to win the $89,622 Altoona Derby. Both win- ners are daughters of PYC Paint Your Wagon. Charette-Hill has been training since 1986 and it was the first time she had saddled two stakes winners on a single program. Ride My Wagon is one of 29 horses she has in training and the only runner she conditions for Hudson.
“I can’t even explain how exciting it was for me,” Charette-Hill said a couple of days removed from the milestone night. “Success like this is a team effort. Without all of my help and my husband, Randy, this wouldn’t even be possible. We’re all a big family. Surrounded by the right people and the right horses, everything falls into place.”
Charette-Hill said she watched both races alone on a set of bleachers not far from the finish line.
“I just can’t talk to anyone before my horses run,” she said. “I need to be by myself. I don’t visit with anyone about the race. I just focus on my horses.”
As she made her way to unsaddle Ride My Wagon following the race, Charette-Hill thought she was going to greet the runner-up.
“Even when I watched the replay, I thought she finished second,” she said. “I was tickled pink. She got bumped a little leaving there and it looked like she was going to get outrun.
Once they got away from her, I thought if she can finish really well she might get third. I didn’t think she was going to get there. I was proud of her for getting up for second. When they put her number up on top I came unglued and started hollering.”
Ride My Wagon broke her maiden in her second career start at Fair Meadows in Oklahoma in June before shipping to Prairie
Meadows in August and promptly capturing an allow- ance dash. Her victory in the Valley Junction was her third consecutive score. She’s now won four of six starts and earned $104,139.
“I’ve always liked her,” Charette-Hill said. “She looked good breaking her maiden. She’s fast and she’s sound. We don’t push our babies, so she’s done for the year. We’ll x-ray her and make sure she’s clean and
then put her away for the year. We’ll point for the Remington Park Derby or the Heritage Place Derby next year.”
Ride My Wagon is produced from the stakes-placed Shawne Bug mare Shawne Kate, who is also represented by Grade 1 stakes winner Darkelly, stakes winner Shawns Quick Dash, graded stakes-placed runners Dardash,
Jess Katen and Shawnee Shines, as well as stakes-placed Dashin Shiner.
“She’s a really nice filly,” Charette-Hill said of Ride My Wagon. “She’s from a nice family, and I’m so lucky to train her. It’s a pleasure to train horses like her.”
HH Guns Drawn nearly got the job done for owners Bradley Hale and Wade Helton. Ridden by Berkley Packer and trained by Brent Clay, HH Guns Drawn (Jess Louisiana Blue-Cosmic Corona) reached for the wire like a winner only to lose by a nostril. HH Guns Drawn was seeking his second stakes score having won the Iowa Double Gold Futurity two starts back.
Her Painted Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Going To The Hague) and Stormy Smith finished a head back in third in the colors of Circle S Ranch for trainer Connie Barnes. Her Painted Wagon entered the race undefeated in three career starts and won her trial with the third-fastest qualifying time of :17.761.
Hada Certain Charm (Hadtobenuts-LK Classy Perk), Sooner Country Babe (Sooner Country Babe-Sooner Take Greene), Cartels Choice (Teller Cartel-Dolls Regal Choice), Runaway For Corona (Midnight Corona- Runaway Valentine), JA Joanies Fly Boy (Fly Jess Fly-Mighty B Joanie), First Prize Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-First Prize Kate), and Paynted Luv (PYC Paint Your Wagon-First Black Rose) rounded out the order of finish.
Prairie Meadows $209,751 • 350 yards :17.674 • si 92
Corona Cartel
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Dashin Follies
RIDE MY WAGON, ’10-f.
Shawne Bug
Shawne Kate
Little Fan Dancer
Ride My Wagon (#7) and David Brown win the $209,751 Grade 3 Valley Junction Futurity by a nose.
SPEEDHORSE, November 2, 2012 85
racing news
Shelly McShane: Coady Photography