Page 151 - November 2017
P. 151
Polk County Derby
LIL STEPPER
by Michael Compton
Lil Stepper, the 9th fastest qualifier to the $110,132 Polk County Derby at Prairie Meadows during the Sept. 30 trials, wasn’t viewed as one of the main
contenders for the 400-yard final dash on Oct. 14, but the 3-year-old gelding took to the sloppy (sealed) track and sprung a mild upset.
Sent off at odds of 11-1, Lil Stepper and jockey Jorge Torres raced in contention from the start, dueling early with Cruisin The Lake. After dismiss- ing that rival, Lil Stepper shrugged off Real Wagon in the lane to score by a 1/2-length at the wire in :19.744, earning a 93 speed index.
It was the second stakes victory for the Michael A. Pohl and Bob Urich colorbearer, who also annexed the Iowa Stallion Derby Sept. 3, prior
to a 5th-place finish in his Polk County Derby trial. Trained by Stacy Charette-Hill, Lil Stepper improved his record to 9-3(2)-2(1)-0 and increased his bankroll to $93,824. The gelding also finished 2nd in the 2016 Iowa Stallion Futurity.
Bred by Urich in Iowa, Lil Stepper is out of lightly raced RU Special and is a full brother to stakes winner Lil Black Wagon, victorious in this year’s Jim Bader Futurity at Prairie Meadows.
Real Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Real Royal Down) finished second under Stormy Smith. The gelding is owned by Kay J. Sage and is trained by Alex Wessels. Fastest qualifier CR Game Changer (Game Patriot-LW Evening Lajolla) and Brayan Velazquez flew late to finish third for owners Dick & Curt Tobin and trainer Jason Olmstead. Followed by My T Oak Tree (Oak Tree Special-Real Royal Down), Special Lee Fast (Corona Cartel-West
Crest Dance), Crusin The Lake (Talkalota Bull-Lil Puddle), Kool Lil Jess (Lil Kool Wagon-Jess Shine), Fast N Famous Jeans (One Famous Eagle-Fast Jeans), Shot Of Southern (Foose-Cartels Belle) & Mr Special Wagon (Lil Kool Wagon-Special Stepper).
Terrace Hill Stakes
WATCH MY WALLET LOTO
by John Moorehouse
Watch My Wallet Loto fattened the wallet of
his owner Thomas Scheckel, leading at every call of the $70,200 Terrace Hill Stakes on Oct. 13 at Prairie Meadows while logging his first-ever stakes vic- tory and pushing his lifetime earnings into 6 figures.
Watch My Wallet Loto broke on top from the 2-hole, led by daylight at both the first call and the stretch, and held off a drive by TRS Amazing Leon to win by a head. Manuel Torres trains Watch My Wallet Loto, who had Cesar Gomez aboard for a 400-yard trip that was finished in :19.836, good for a 90 speed index.
Watch My Wallet Loto posted his 5th victory in 23 starts, and improved his bankroll with the $31,590 win- ner’s share to $100,107. His record is now 5(1)-2(1)-2.
Carmina LLC bred Watch My Wallet Loto out of Cocopata, who logged a pair of stakes victories as part of a 5-win career, including a 350-yard New Track Record, that reaped almost $90,000 in earnings. Watch My Wallet Loto becomes the 1st stakes winner in a brood that includes 100% earners from 4 starters.
TRS Amazing Leon (Just Amazing Jess-TRS Maes Dash) finished second by daylight for owner Vernon Hammes and trainer Henry Guillory, Jr. Juan Pulido did the riding.
David Gregory’s Quick Chick Magnet (Country Chicks Man-Make It A Quickie) overcame 28-1 odds to hit the board in third. The David Brown trainee had Marcus Swiontek aboard.
The remaining order of finish was Iowas Texan Tip (Tempting Dash-Corona Del Rae), TRS Hotshot Hunter (Hot Shot Dash-Sheza Friendly Kas), Iris Pilotos Flash (Mr Piloto-Pure Royal Dash), Morning Dash Cartel (Tempting Dash-Morning Cartel), There Goes My Wallet (Mr Piloto-Coronita Cartel), Dash For Number One (Tempting Dash- Number One Chorreada) and Eyeowa Cyclone (Mr Eye Opener-Countess Rare Bar). PYC Royal Wagon and The Fiscal Cliff were scratched.
Future of Iowa Stakes
SPOOFTRAIN 7
by John Moorehouse
Spooftrain 7 just keeps on rolling. The four-year- old filly won her third straight race with a wire- to-wire performance in the $60,000 Future Of Iowa Stakes on Oct. 13 at Prairie Meadows.
Competing in her first ever stakes event, held exclusively for state-bred fillies and mares, did not affect Spooftrain 7. The filly broke on top from the inside starting gate, led by 1-length at the first call, maintained that advantage going into the stretch, and held off any would-be rivals to get to the wire first by 1/2-length.
Tony Jones trains Spooftrain 7, who finished the 350 yards in :17.548 for a 96 speed index with Raul Gutierrez aboard. Richard Tobin owns Spooftrain
7, who entered black type while logging her fifth overall victory in 14 career starts. She’s now been to the winner’s circle three times through her first four outs in 2017. The $28,800 winner’s prize boosted the cumulative earnings of the filly to $68,539.
Williams Fertilizer Services LLC bred Spooftrain 7 out of 2-time winner/Grade 3 finalist Finely Tuned Chivato. She has produced three starters/earners. Spooftrain 7 is her top earner and first stakes winner.
Tobin and Jones also combined on the runner-up in this race, Island Gurl (Pappasito-Streaking Out), who also was the commanding pre-race favorite at 1-2 odds at post time and entered this race for her first bid in stakes company. Jorge Torres was aboard.
Miss Alice Grace (Jess Racy-Beduinos Heart), a 14-1 underdog, placed third for owner Larry Blain and trainer Charlton Hunt. She had previously run third in the Iowa Stallion Derby. Cristian Esqueda was aboard.
The remaining order of finish was My Girls Toasted (Toast To Dash-Girling), Shesa Vivian (Just Amazing Jess-Shesa Eye Of Rose), Storming Red Chickie (Red Storm Cat-Burn Down Chickie) and Justa Minyun (Dominyun-Justa Dance).
Prairie Meadows $110,132 400 yards :19.744 si 93
Lil Kool Wagon LIL STEPPER, ‘14-g.
Ru Special
PYC Paint Your Wagon Little Kool Barbie Special Legend
Ru Upity
Prairie Meadows $70,200 400 yards :19.836 si 90
Mr Jess Perry
Cocopata
Mr Piloto
WATCH MY WALLET LOTO, ‘13-g.
Ms Pilot Point Walk Thru Fire Contessa Corona
Prairie Meadows $60,000 350 yards :17.548 si 96
Freighttrain B SPOOFTRAIN 7, ‘13-f.
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Dianetogetcha
Dash To Chivato
Finely Tuned Chivato
Tuned Casady
SPEEDHORSE, November 2017 149
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
