Page 50 - September 2019

P P i i e e I I n n T T h h e e S S k k y y w w o o n n t t h h e e 1 1 9 9 7 7 9 9 A A l l l l A A m m e e r r i i c c a a n n F Fu u t t u u r r i i t t y y f f o o r r o o w w n n e e r r s s D D a a n n & & J J o o l l e e n n e e U U r r s s c c h h e e l l , , t t r r a a i i n n e e r r L L e e o o W W o o o o d d a a n n d d j j o o c c k k e e y y D D a a n n n n y y C C a a r r d d o o z z a a . .
Pie In The Sky wins the 1979 All American Futurity
Pie In The Sky was Easy Jet’s second All American Futurity winner, following Easy Date’s win in 1974. Pie In The Sky’s dam is Miss Jelly Roll by Roulade TB. The name Pie In The Sky is a fitting name for the winner of the 1979 All American Futurity, as this idiom relates to the definition of “a preposterously optimistic goal” and by 1979, a win in the All American Futurity was beginning to look like a very difficult goal to achieve. The 1979 version of this race had 300 horses vying for 10 spots in the finals for the $1,000,000 purse. Pie In The Sky had an interesting trip to the finals. A trip that fits his name.
Pie In The Sky was bred by Joe McDermott of Madisonville, Texas. McDermott started the colt on his race career. Pie In The Sky won his maiden race in February of 1979 at Manor Downs. He didn’t start again until an allowance race at Los Alamitos in June, where he finished third. He then won his trial to the Kindergarten Futurity, placing third in the finals. He was then purchased by Dan and Jolene Urschel of Canadian, Texas.
Dan and Jolene Urschel started on their quest to win the 1979 All American Futurity when
they went to the 1978 Ruidoso Yearling Sale
to buy a mare named Easy Angel, who wasn’t available. So, they bought Easy Dimple, who was on the road to the All American Futurity when she was injured in the Kansas Futurity and was unable to continue her quest for the big race.
So, Dan went looking for a new All American Futurity horse and he bought Pie In The Sky.
Before leaving California, Pie In The Sky was third in his trial for the Skoal Dash For Cash Futurity and then he placed third in the finals. Easy Angel, the filly Urschel wanted to buy at the Ruidoso Sale, was the winner. By the time Pie In The Sky got to Ruidoso, he had shin bucked. Trainer Leo Wood treated the colt to get him ready to run in the All American trials.
When the trials were over, Pie In The Sky was the fastest qualifier with a time of :21.76. He was followed by second fastest qualifier Sages Belle Star in :21.87. Pa Pa Wheelie came into the finals with a time of :22.03, followed by Streakin Six in :22.05. That’s Rainey qualified in :22.06, with Afternoon Surprise in :22.07, Manifestoh and Ask The Boss in :22.39, Denim N Diamonds in :22.41 and Easy Azuree in :22.45.
Despite his role as the fastest qualifier,
Pie In The Sky was the second choice by the betting public. Rainbow Futurity winner Streakin Six got the nod as the betting choice. The field also included the second and third place Rainbow Futurity finishers with Sages Belle Star second and Thats Rainey third in that race. Pa Pa Wheelie was a finalist in both the Kansas and Rainbow Futurities, making him the only horse to qualify for all three of Ruidoso’s triple crown of futurity races.
When the gates opened for the finals, it was Pa Pa Wheelie and Sages Belle Star taking the lead with Pie In The Sky, Streakin Six, That’s Rainey and Afternoon Surprise coming from behind. Pie In The Sky and jockey Danny Cardoza took the lead, a lead they never relinquished to win by 1 1/2-lengths over Streakin Six in :21.76 for the 440 yards. Pie
In The Sky earned $437,500. The rest of the field in order of finish were Thats Rainey in third, then Afternoon Surprise, Sages Belle Star, Denim N Diamonds, Easy Azuree, Manifestoh and Pa Pa Wheelie. Ask The Boss was scratched the morning of the race because of sickness.
48 SPEEDHORSE, September 2019