Page 95 - 2 November 2012

los Alamitos wild west Futurity
CHeCkSPeeD
by Tracy Gantz
It isn’t often that a maiden wins his first race in a six-figure stakes. But Checkspeed was no ordinary maiden. Even though he hadn’t
won in six starts, he had finished second twice, including a narrow head loss in The Plan Handicap on Sept. 16. He captured his first victory by winning the Oct. 20 Los Alamitos Wild West Futurity.
To do it, Checkspeed had to defeat odds- on favorite Margaritas N
Coronas, who had bested
him in The Plan Handicap
and in their Wild West trial. With Gregorio Arriaga back aboard, Checkspeed came away from the gate on top from post six.
“He broke super fast, and in no time at all we were already well ahead of the field,” Arriaga said.
That jump gave the gelding an advantage no one
could topple, especially since he continued on strongly. Checkspeed scored by three-quar- ters of a length in :17.377 for the 350 yards.
John Wells trains Checkspeed for Emily Lawrence and J.P. Sample. Emily and Michael Lawrence bred the gelding in California. Sample bought into him as a baby because
he had success with Checkspeed’s half-sister Voyage, who has won three races. The mare,
unraced Speedy Speedette, has produced two winners from three starters. The third dam, Elite Empress, was a multiple graded stakes winner and also produced Champion Speedy Empress, who fin- ished second in the 1996 All American Futurity-G1.
Margaritas N Coronas (Corona Czech-Fly Margarita) ran second by a head under jockey Rodrigo Aceves. Bret Vickery trains
the gelding for owner Robert Hickman. In addition to winning The Plan Handicap, Margaritas N Coronas was the fastest qualifier for the Wild West final.
Dynasty Red (FDD Dynasty-Red High Heels), the second-fastest qualifier, finished third. Francisco Rubio rode the gelding for trainer Lin Melton, who co-owns him with Spackman Racing. Dynasty Red finished sec- ond in the Bitterroot Futurity-G3 and third in the John Deere Les Bois Juvenile Challenge.
Rounding out the field were One Famous Secret (One Famous Eagle-Secretively), R Forte (Shazoom-Jewel Cartel), Eagle Nation (Stoli-BSR Crash), The Midnite Caller (A Regal Choice-Cee The Blurr), BF Memory Lane (Maknmoves-BF Lanes Game), Jess Bet (Swingin Jess-Miss Kittys Bar Bet), and Kool Baby (Separatist-Im Willie Kool).
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Hennessy-TB
Check Him Out
Check Her Twice
CHECKSPEED, ’10-g.
Red Hot Rhythm
Speedy Speedette
Elite Speedette
racing news
Autumn Handicap
SuGARBeAR SAx MAn
by Tracy Gantz
the addition of a flipping halter has aided Sugarbear Sax Man. After a slow start in the Kingergarten Futurity-G2, trainer Jose Flores decided a flipping halter might help in the gate. He proved correct, as Sugarbear Sax Man finished second twice and then became a stakes winner in the Oct. 12 Autumn Handicap at Los Alamitos.
Sugarbear Sax Man came out of the gate very well in the Autumn
Handicap. He drifted out
slightly, and jockey Cruz
Mendez quickly straightened him out. They flew to the wire, winning by a half-length in :17.593 for the 350 yards.
Mendez has ridden Sugarbear Sax Man in every race except the Kindergarten final. They have never finished worse than second. Flores trains the gelding for Cesar Edgardo Muniz Gomez.
“This horse has been so consistent,” Gomez said. “He left the gate tonight better than ever. This is an emotional win for us. It’s our second stakes win ever and the first for this horse.”
Vessels Stallion Farm LLC bred Sugarbear Sax Man from Therestischemistry. All of her three starters have won. Vessels consigned Sugarbear Sax Man to the 2011 Los Alamitos Equine Sale, and Flores bought him for $6,500.
The second dam, Pretty Sensation, won the Primera Del Ano Derby-G1, California Sires’ Cup Derby-RG3,
and Orange Stakes. Her
foals include stakes-placed Secretary For Life, the dam
of IFA Derby winner Mr Jesses Secretary, and unraced Sentimentallysweet, the
dam of Oklahoma Derby Challenge-G3 winner Work Work Work and stakes-placed One Big Love.
Michael Isom’s homebred Secret Hero (Valiant Hero-With Real Intent) finished sec- ond with Osvaldo Macias in the irons. Justin Clark trains the filly, who won one race and finished second twice in six prior starts.
Buy Buy (Stel Corona-Aquisitive) ran
third for owner Kolleen Ledgerwood, trainer Roberto Dominguez, and jockey Eddie Garcia. Claimed for $10,000 out of a win in June, Buy Buy subsequently won the California Breeders Freshman Fillies Stakes.
Rounding out the field were Chaotic Cartel (Corona Cartel-Dinastia Toll Brz), Creole Williams (Jess Louisiana Blue-Picture Perfect Tee), Corona Cade (Stel Corona-Mongoose Hawkette), Secretly Famous (One Famous Eagle- Secret Separation), This Habits A Secret (No Secrets Here-One More Habit), and Jess Another Czech (Corona Czech-Jess Another Ticket).
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Sixarun
Tres Seis
Our Third Delight
SUGARBEAR SAX MAN, ’10-g.
Jazzing Hi
Therestischemistry
Pretty Sensation
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