Page 32 - Speedhorse October 2018

All American Juvenile
DANJER
By Tracy Gantz
Dean Frey had never raced a horse at Ruidoso Downs before bringing in his homebred gelding Danjer for this year’s
All American Futurity-G1 trials. Though Danjer didn’t qualify for the All American final, he proved tons the best in the All American Juvenile.
“I’ve been to the sale for 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve raced at Ruidoso,” said Frey. “I’m glad I made the trip.”
Despite a bumping incident at the start, Danjer dominated his trial, winning by 1 3/4-lengths, though not in a fast enough time for the final. Instead, he went into the Juvenile as the 7-2 second choice. Cody Jensen, who piloted Danjer in the trial, was back aboard.
Frey runs Danjer in a flipping halter, and the gelding came away from the gate on the lead.
“Early on he wasn’t breaking,” Frey said in explaining why Danjer runs in the flipping hal- ter. “He was in the 2-hole, and the horse on the inside of him was kind of acting up. I thought it might bother him, but Cody said it didn’t
and Billy Smith became partners with Frey on the gelding.
But perhaps the best part of All American experience for Frey was that his daugh- ter, 28-year-old Dusti, joined him for the weekend. She now works in the aerospace indus- try in Southern California.
Danjer is an Oklahoma-bred, but his roots are in Southern California. Frey
for many years was based there, spending more than two decades training Arabians for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashin Al Maktoum. Frey also trained Quarter Horses, including Dashing Fly Lady, the second dam of Danjer.
“I claimed Dashing Fly Lady for $2,500,” said Frey. “She wasn’t the soundest mare in the world, but she had a lot of heart.”
Dashing Fly Lady’s career ended when she dead-heated for a win at Los Alamitos over
a rainy surface in late 1992 and fractured
a coffin bone. Dashing Fly Lady’s owner
Ruidoso Downs $200,000 • 440 yards :21.158 • si 101
First Down Dash
FDD Dynasty
Dinastia Toll Brz DANJER, ’16-g.
Take Off Jess
Shez Jess Toxic
Dashing Fly Lady
bother him in the least. He blew away from there and never looked back.”
Nobody came close to catching Danjer, who won the 440-yard event by 2 1/2-lengths. He stopped the timer in :21.158.
Frey bred, owns, and
trains Danjer and started him first at Remington Park. Danjer broke his maiden in his third start, at Canterbury Park.
Frey is quick to thank the many people who have helped him, beginning with the Parsons family in California. They broke Frey’s yearlings last year, including Danjer.
“They did an excellent job for me,” Frey said.
Frey, a former jockey, also credited jockeys Berkley Packer and Nakia Ramirez with help- ing early in Danjer’s career. Packer rode Danjer in his first two races.
Trainer Jason Olmstead and his wife, Amber, took care of Danjer when he first shipped to Ruidoso. Following the Juvenile, Pat Guthrie
Danjer & Cody Jensen receive every call en route to a 2 1/2-length win in the All American Juvenile.
30 SPEEDHORSE, October 2018