Page 26 - Speedhorse October 2018

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the second choice at 5-2. When the gate opened, those two vied for the lead, Apocalyptical Jess getting the jump on his stablemate.
“We saw that no one was in front of him, and we thought, okay, we’ve got a shot,” stated Robbins.
Apocalyptical Jess stormed home to win by 3 3 / /4 4 - - l l e e n n g g t t h h i i n n : : 2 21 1. . 3 3 9 9 3 3 . .
“It’s more than I hoped for,” said Blane Wood. “We’ve been trying to do this for a long time.”
Robbins, a tech executive, and his wife, Christine live in San Jose, California. He initially turned to the Woods when he decided to race his homebred filly Mals Famous Eagle, named for daughter Mallory, in Texas and Oklahoma. Mals Famous Eagle won three of six races before a chipped knee ended her career.
R R o o b b b b i i n n s s p p r r a a i i s s e e d d t t h h e e W Wo o o o d d s s ’ ’ t t r r a a i i n n i i n n g g a a b b i i l l i i t t y y a a n n d d t t h h e e i i r r h h o o n n e e s s t t e e v v a a l lu u a a t t i i o o n n o o f f h h i i s s h h o o r r s s e e s s . .
“We have a real good relationship,” Robbins said.
R R o o b b b b i i n n s s c c r r e e d d i i t t s s h h i i s s f f a a t t h h e e r r- - i i n n - - l l a a w w f f o o r r g g e e t t- -
t t i i n n g g h h i i m m i i n n t t o o t t h h e e b b u u s s i i n n e e s s s s i i n n t t h h e e e e a a r r l l y y 1 19 9 9 9 0 0 s s . . D D a a n n n n y y a a n n d d S S a a n n d d r r a a v v i i s s i it t e e d d B B i i l l l l a a n n d d C C h h r r i i s s t t i i n n e e , , who at the time lived in Dallas, and they heard a a b b o o u u t t a a d d i i s s p p e e r r s s a a l l i i n n c c e e n n t t r r a a l l T Te e x x a a s s . .
“We got up on a Sunday morning, left Dallas at about 4 a.m., and drove about 2 1/2 hours to a little town called Clifton, Texas,” said Robbins.
M M i i l l l l e e r r b b o o u u g g h ht t t t w w o o m m a a r r e e s s , , i i n n c c l lu u d d i i n n g g Diamond Spoon, whose dam, Casco Charge, a a l l s s o o p p r r o o d d u u c c e e d d C C h h a a m m p p i i o o n n H H e e z z a a C C h h a a r r g g e e r r. .
“Diamond Spoon kind of became the blue h h e e n n o o f f h h i i s s p p r r o o d d u u c c t t i i o o n n , ,” ” s s a a i i d d R R o o b b b b i i n n s s . .
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I I n s e t : B l a n e & S a n d y W o o d .
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n T Tr r e e y y w w i i t t h h f f r r i i e e n n d d s s & & f f a a m m i i l l y y. .
O O w w n n e e r r B B i i l l l l T T. . R R o o b b b b i i n n s s , , t t r r a a i i n n e e r r B B l l a a n n e e 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 R R a a u u l l R R a a m m i i r r e e z z J J r r. . w w i i t t h h f f r r i i e e n n d d s s & & f f a a m m i i l l y y. .
24 SPEEDHORSE, October 2018