Page 52 - February 2017

MOONIN THE EAGLE si 111, $556,100, 3-Ntr’s
Champion Aged Stallion
Breeder: Vessels Stallion Farm LLC Owner: Gregorio Garcia Garza
Trainers: Rolando Almanza, Yoani Abreu Jockeys: Esgar Ramirez, Ricky Ramirez
2016 Record: 3-3(3)-0-0, $325,432, Remington Park Invit. Champ.-G1, Sam Abbey Mem. Invit., Hialeah Mat., Ntr RP 440yds., 2-Ntr’s HIA 440yds.
While gelding a horse can often improve his focus on racing, other management techniques can work when the decision is made not to geld him. In the case of Moonin The Eagle, a flipping halter kept his mind on things.
“He’s still a stud, so what he tends to do is he starts looking around not paying attention to what he’s doing,” said trainer Rolando Almanza. “It helps him keep his head straight, keeps him focused.”
The equipment change worked. Moonin The Eagle went undefeated throughout his 4-year-old season of 2016, and he earned the title of Champion Aged Stallion.
Almanza trains Moonin The Eagle for owner Gregorio Garcia Garza. Vessels Stallion Farm LLC bred the colt in California. It’s easy to see why Garza would want to keep Moonin The Eagle a stud, since his sire, One Famous Eagle, and dam, Your First Moon, were both Champions. Moonin The Eagle is also a half- brother to Champion Moonist, a gelding the industry sadly lost last year.
Moonin The Eagle’s 2016 season actually began Dec. 26, 2015, when he aced his trial for the Hialeah Maturity. He returned Jan. 17 for the final, where, as the 11-10 favorite under jockey Ricky Ramirez, he scored by three- quarters of a length, getting the 440 yards in :21.201 for a 105 speed index.
“He’s a distance horse; he does like to run 440,” Almanza said. “Ricky does a heck of a job with him as well. He didn’t push him until he had to.”
Moonin The Eagle raced one more time at Hialeah, in the Sam Abbey Memorial Invitational, also at 440 yards. Ramirez again rode him, applying some dexterous stick-switching to keep Moonin The Eagle running straight.
The jockey’s technique paid off. Favored
at 9-10, Moonin The Eagle mimicked his Maturity victory, winning by three-quarters of
a length in :21.192 for another 105 speed index.
Esgar Ramirez rode Moonin The Eagle for his final start of the year in the Remington Park Invitational Championship-G1. The colt finished a neck behind Zoomin Effortlessly and was awarded the victory upon that horse’s disqualification.
Sam Abbey Memorial Invitational
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
Streakin La Jolla
Scoopie Fein
Chicks Beduino
Streakin Six Bottom’s Up Sinn Fein Legs La Scoop Beduino TB
A Classy Chick Dash For Cash Pfeffernusse
Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Gallant Jet Rose Bug Romany Royal Jo-Ann-Cat Dash For Cash Ought To Go
Easy Six
Miss Assured
Raise Your Glass TB La Jolla
Three Oh’s Vansarita Too Scooper Chick
La Ferne
Romany Royal Jo-Ann-Cat
Chick’s Deck Mayshego TB Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Tiny’s Gay
Chick’s Fantacia
Rocket Bar TB Go Galla Go To Market Hide And Seek Jet Deck
Leo Jewel
Lady Bug’s Moon Casco Rose
Grey Sovereign Romany Belle Rejected
Quick Eye Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Go Man Go
Do Good Bam
Easy Jet
Peggy Toro
Little Request TB Assured
Raise A Native Champagne Woman
St Bar
Top Pretty TB
Three Chicks OhMyOh
Vandy Garrettsmisspawhuska Triple Chick
Scoop Bam Quicksilver King
Nikita
Grey Sovereign Romany Belle Rejected
Quick Eye
Three Chicks
Decketta
Mayhego
Aegean Goddess Rocket Bar TB
Go Galla Go
To Market
Hide And Seek
Tiny Watch
Gay’s Delight
Three Chicks
Fantacia
Three Bars Golden Rocket Go Man Go
La Galla Win Market Wise Pretty Does Alibhai Scattered Moon Deck Miss Night Bar Leo
Linda Jewel Top Moon
FL Lady Bug Levan
Prissy Hankins Nasrullah Kong
Vilmorin Romany Chi Revoked
By Line
Depth Charge Eye To Eye
Rocket Bar TB Go Galla Go
To Market Hide And Seek Top Deck TB Lightfoot Six War Bam TB Do Good
One Famous Lady
One Slick Cookie MOONIN THE EAGLE ’12, C.
First Down Dash
Your First Moon
Moon Arisen
Dash For Cash
First Prize Rose
Beduino TB
Goin For Cash
50 SPEEDHORSE, February 2017
Coady Photography