Page 142 - November 2017

Hobbs America Futurity-G2
PAPAWS PAINT
by Michael Cusortelli
Papaws Paint, a homebred racing for RH Enterprises of Graham, Texas, outran his 9-1 odds and his status as the 10th-fastest
qualifier to win the $214,966 Hobbs America Futurity-G2 at Zia Park on Oct. 8.
Prepped by Todd Fincher and racing
against a reported 11-mph head wind, Papaws Paint went 400 yards in :19.888 under jockey Bonifacio Perez, and his winning margin was 3/4-length from 18-1 longshot and 7th-fastest qualifier Jessica Alexandra. Pawpaws Paint banked the $103,184 winner’s share of the purse while earning his first career stakes victory.
“I wasn’t at all surprised by his perfor- mance,” said Fincher. “He got away poorly in his trial, and the most nerve-wracking part of the whole day was waiting to the end of the tri- als before we were sure he’d even qualified.
“I wasn’t concerned about his ability to win the final, but getting in was really the hard part,” the trainer added.
Papaws Paint was bred in Oklahoma by the late Ray Herring, a longtime breeder who died in July 2013 at the age of 85. The brown gelding was coming off of a 1/2-length victory in the 3rd of 5 Hobbs America Futurity trials on Sept. 23.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, Papaws Paint has won 5 of 6 starts and has earned $123,544 with the $103,184 winner’s share from
his first stakes victory. His resume includes a 7th-place finish in the $500,000 All American Juvenile Invitational.
“He trains okay, but he runs perfectly in races,” Fincher said. “He usually breaks good, and he runs as straight as a string.”
Papaws Paint’s Hobbs
America win earned him
a berth in the $200,000
Southwest Juv. Champ.-G1
at Zia Park on Dec. 3. However, Fincher said
the gelding would be given a break before being pointed to derbies at Sunland Park in the spring & Ruidoso Downs in the summer. “He’s run 6 tough races in a row, so we’re going to do the right thing by the horse and give him a break,” Fincher added.
Pawpays Paint is 1 of 3 winners from as many starters out of Heavenly Trip, who earned $353,435 winning the ’07 Sunland
Park Winter Derby-G2 & 2009 Lubbock Stakes-G3. Papaws Paint’s 2nd dam, Heavenly Shuttle, won the 2001 NM Distance Challenge Stakes-G3. Papaws Paint traces back to his 5th dam, multiple stakes winner Barb’s Bug.
Jessica Alexandra (Apollitical Jess-Phoebe Wallingford), herself an All American Juvenile
qualifier, was 2nd under Ricky Ramirez for Joyce D. Erickson & trainer Donna McArthur. The filly was coming off a win in the Hobbs America Futurity trials. Mr Perry Strong (Mr Jess Perry-Strength In Numbers) was 3rd under Salvador Martinez for Licon Farm & Ranch LLC and trainer Mike Joiner. Phantom Fury (One Sweet Jess-Sr Gizella), the fastest qualifier & favorite,
ran 4th and was followed by Apollitical Brooke (Apollitical Jess-Runaway Brooke), Flight Force (One Famous Eagle-Modice), Brown Tres Seis (Tres Seis-Brown Eye Suze), Ym Valentine (Valiant Hero-Icy Valentine), Dee Favorite
Girl (Favorite Cartel-Eyema Blues Girl), & Jess Shantastic (Fantastic Corona Jr-Jesses Candy).
The Hobbs America Futurity is 1 of several stakes that offers their winners a berth in the Southwest Juvenile Championship, which
last year was won by Champion 2-Year-Old Imperial Eagle. The Hobbs America Futurity was first run in 2005, and achieved graded sta- tus 3 years later. Past winners include AQHA Champions Brenda Beautiful (’08), First Klas Fred (’09) & Feature Mr Bojangles (’11).
Zia Park $214,966 • 400 yards :19.888 • si 86
Corona Cartel
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Dashin Follies
PAPAWS PAINT, ’15 g.
Splash Bac
Heavenly Trip
Heavenly Shuttle
140 SPEEDHORSE, November 2017
Pawpaws Paint & Bonifacio Perez edge clear for a 3/4-length victory in the $214,966 Hobbs America Futurity
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