Page 165 - February 2017

Shue Fly Stakes-RG2
RUNNING DRAGON
by Michael Cusortelli
Running Dragon, a homebred filly racing for By By JJ LLC of El Paso, Texas, and the second-fastest qualifier after winning her
trial, sprinted to her third stakes victory in the $205,974 Shue Fly Stakes-RG2 for New Mexico-bred sophomores at Sunland Park on Jan. 15.
Ridden by Adrian Ramos for trainer Juan M. Gonzalez from post 9 and aided by a reported 10-mph tail wind, Running Dragon covered 400 yards in :19.416 on a sealed track officially labeled “good.” The $96,808 win- ner’s share of the purse increased the gray filly’s earnings to $470,641.
Running Dragon broke well and grabbed the lead as she neared the finish line. Her margin of victory was 1/2-length over fastest qualifier and 7-10 favorite Magnifico Dragon, who broke sharply from post 8.
“She’s super competitive, one of the most competitive horses we’ve ever had in our barn,” said assistant trainer Juan Gonzalez Jr. of Running Dragon. “When the post positions were drawn and I saw that Magnifico Dragon had drawn right next to us, I was confident that she would give us everything she had in the race.
“If she has a fast horse draw next to her on the track, she’s going to do everything in her power not to let that horse beat her,” he added. “That’s basically the definition of the perfect horse, the kind of horse everyone is looking for. You don’t come by these types very often.”
Running Dragon is from the first crop of starters sired by Zulu Dragon, a multiple graded stakes winner.
The filly is also the first starter foaled by her dam, the homebred 11-year-old mare Banking Lane.
Running Dragon’s third dam, Quick Step Disco, won the 1994 Ruidoso Horse Sale Futurity-RG3.
A winner of eight of her 10 outs, Running Dragon ended her 2-year-old campaign with a wire-to-wire 1 1/4-length victory in the last of five Shue Fly trials on Dec. 23.
The filly opened her career with a five-race winning streak that included a 1/2-length score in the $297,925 New Mexican Spring Futurity-RG2 in April, and a wire-to-wire victory score in the $364,256 Mountain Top Futurity-RG3 in June.
Running Dragon’s juvenile resume also includes a 2nd-place finish, 2-lengths behind winner Magnifico Dragon, in the
Oct. 29 New Mexico Cup Futurity-RG2 at Zia Park.
“When she was beaten by Magnifico Dragon in that race, she had the 10 hole
and Magnifico drew post 1,” Gonzalez Jr. recalled.
“I don’t think she even noticed that Magnifico had beaten her because he was close the rail and she was on the far outside.
“This filly is so competi-
tive that when we put her on the walker, she almost tries to break it down - in fact, we don’t even like to put her on the walker when we’re getting close to a race with her,” he added. “We walk her by hand because she’s so full of energy all of the time.”
Gonzalez Jr. said Running Dragon
would be pointed to the $85,000 Sunburst Stakes-RG3 for state-bred 3-year-old fillies at Sunland Park on April 1.
“She came out of this race very sound, and that’s another amazing thing about this filly,” he said. “We raced her quite a bit when she was a 2 year old, and she’s sound.
“She always runs fast, and usually when horses run as fast as she does, they don’t stay as
sound as she has. She has no issues.,” he added.
Stakes winner/multiple stakes placed Magnifico Dragon (Zulu Dragon- Cassies Mag) races for Daniel Balderrama from
the barn of trainer Cynthia Gonzalez. Mauro Salcedo rode the sorrel gelding in the Shue Fly Stakes.
Jose Luis Ozuna’s First Kool Moon (First Moonflash-
Lilly Cartel) finished third, 1 1/4-lengths behind Running Dragon. Manuel Gutierrez rode the brown gelding for trainer Paul Jones. First Kool Moon finished second in his trial to Magnifico Dragon.
Mighty B Dragon (Zulu Dragon-Mighty B Perry), finished fourth and was fol-
lowed by Altitude Project (Woodbridge-S
L R Lonesomedove), Moon River (First Moonflash-A Medley Of Chicks), Rockin N Scootin (Heza Motor Scooter-Jessies Snow Angel), A Sure First (First Moonflash- Sure Thats Hot), and Higher Noon (First Moonflash-Higher Math). Trial winner and third-fastest qualifier Flash Em The Jewels was scratched.
Sunland Park $205,974 • 400 yards :19.416 • si 92
First Moonflash
Zulu Dragon
Hidden Dragon
RUNNING DRAGON, ‘14, g.
Devon Lane TB
Banking Lane
Banking Disco
162 SPEEDHORSE, February 2017
Running Dragon & Adrian Ramos win the $205,974 Shue Fly Stakes-RG2 at Sunland Park
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography