Page 55 - September 2018

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NEW MEXICO
5
WOKATEE ON FIRE SI 92, $187,861
6
LYNNDER 16 SI 105, $371,146
Wokatee On Fire and James Flores go wire-to-wire for a head win
Race record: 3-2-1(1)-0 Day 1, Race #5
Wokatee On Fire had never raced over the Ruidoso Downs surface when he loaded into the 2-gate for the 5th of 16 All American Futurity trials on Aug. 17. The gelding didn’t let that phase him, as he ran a nearly perfect race to set the day’s 4th-fastest qualifying time of :21.524. Ridden by James
Flores, Wokatee On Fire led every step of the race and drew away from Lynnder 16, who was ranked 7th on the weekly AQHA 2-Year-Old Poll coming into the trials, in the last strides to cross the wire a head in front of the favorite, who also qualified. Wokatee On Fire was vanned off after the race. Bred by Servando Montemayor & B. Martinez and owned by Wokatee On Fire LLC (lessee), the winner was saddled by Clinton Crawford. He previously made 2 starts at Remington Park for trainer Bobby Martinez. There, the Highest Fire gelding won a trial to the $1,024,840 Heritage Place Futurity-G1 by 2 3/4-lengths in his debut. In the finals, he broke out slightly but lined out & ran a solid 2nd. Wokatee On Fire is from the first crop of Highest Fire si 102 ($325,637), a Grade 1 stakes-placed winner, and is the leading performer out of Wokatee si 92 ($77,500), who was 2nd in the 2005 TQHA Sale Futurity-G1. Wokatee has also produced stakes-placed Heza Fast Wokatee si 104 ($94,431) & 2 other winners.
From the 5 qualifiers on the 1st day of All American Futurity trials, only 1, Lynnder 16, heads to the finals with a prior stakes win. She is also the only filly to make it back from day 1. Like Wokatee On Fire, whom she finished 2nd to in the 5th trial, Lynnder 16 started her career at Remington Park. Racing for trainer Jason
Lynnder 16 and Cristian Esqueda finished second and qualified to the finals
Race record: 5-3(1)-1-1(1) Day 1, Race # 5
Olmstead, Lynnder 16 easily won her debut to qualify for the $864,500 Remington Park Okla.-Bred Futurity-RG2. Easily handling a sloppy track in the finals, she dueled throughout the 330 yards to win by a head. Lynnder 16 moved to New Mexico for her next start, extending her win streak to 3
in a trial to the Ruidoso Futurity-G1, where she qualified to the Ruidoso Juvenile. Overcoming a troubled start and traffic in the Juvenile, she rallied to finish 3rd under regular rider Cristian Esqueda. Tom Maher & Dick Tobin own Lynnder 16, who was bred by James & Marilyn Helzer. The filly is by Apollitical Jess & out of winner Tinys Corona Queen si 91 ($12,246). Lynnder 16 is the richest runner for her dam, who has also produced stakes winners Apollitical Man si 100 ($143,406) & First Of 15 si 106 ($113,990) – full siblings to Lynnder 16 – Hardtoget si 104 ($119,650) & stakes-placed winner Rattle N Battle si 99 ($129,037), among others. Lynnder 16’s 2nd dam is multiple graded stakes winner Tiny First Effort si 116 ($445,393).
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