Page 130 - July 2022

AROUND THE GLOBE
MEXICO CHAMPIONS
2021 Mexican Quarter Horse Champions
Story by Luis Prieto Zamudio, translation by Speedhorse
Photos by Luis Prieto Zamudio, Miguel A. Espinoza and Eliot León
Luis Prieto Zamudio
The Mexican Association of Breeders and Horsemen of Quarter Horses (AMCCCCM), determined the 2021 Champions in January, but the award ceremony didn’t take place until May 7, once the restrictions due to COVID-19 allowed the event to be carried out safely.
SPECIAL GUEST & RECOGNITION
AQHA Chief Racing Officer Janet VanBebber was present on behalf of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) with her daughter Taylor, who presented the award for the Mexico Futurity race the next day at the Hipódromo de las Americas.
There were two special recognitions. The first for the retirement of jockey José Luis Santos Cruz, who is leaving the stirrups behind to dedicate himself to training Quarter Horses. His retirement happens for him at the age of
58, having started riding at the age of 10. He began riding at the Hipodromo de las Americas in 1984 and rode there until 2021. He also ventured onto racetracks in the United States, riding at places such as Los Alamitos, Sunland Park, Ruidoso Downs, Remington Park, Blue Ribbon Downs, Sam Houston Race Park, Retama Park and Lone Star Park, among others.
José Luis retired with a record of 2,681 mounts, of which he obtained 486 first places, 386 seconds and 310 thirds, according to the AQHA report. Horses Mx Magazine, issue number 8, states that he won 63 stakes, the first being the AMCCCCM in 1986 with Silver Moonshadow (Cloudy-Saucy Moon, Moon Deck) and the last in 2016 with A Remarkable Perry (Mr Piloto-Dashing Little Reba, First Down Dash) in the Javier Rosique Palavicini.
“I thank God, who allowed me to ride for so many years and retire healthy, in fullness of my faculties,” he said briefly for Speedhorse, accompanied by his son José Luis.
The second special recognition went to Alberto Gómez Gutiérrez, who passed away
on March 25, 2021 (see Speedhorse May 2021 issue, page 152), for his determined and fruitful work in the dissemination of information and for the promotion of equine events nationwide. He was the founder of several publications,
of which A Caballo Magazine stands out. His mother Josefina Gutiérrez received the cor- responding recognition plaque in the presence of her sister Guadalupe and her brother Oscar Gómez Gutiérrez, among other relatives.
SUMMARY OF THE MAIN AWARDS
The filly Texana Cartel was the individual who stood out the most for her results on the track. In her first season, she made only six starts in which she obtained four wins and two second places, including a first in the Subasta Selecta Futurity-RG2 and in the Garañones Futurity-RG2, the two most important for Mexican-bred horses sold at auction.
With these results, she obtained earnings of $4,395,638 pesos ($218,905 dollars), being the highest earnings figure of the season. For these reasons, she was designated AQHA Mexican Champion, Mexican Champion Two Year Old and Horse of the Year. In addition, Rancho Suspiro, her owner, received the 2-horse trailer that the AQHA annually awards to the best specimen of Mexican breeding.
The chestnut filly is a daughter of Danny Cartel and out of La Texana Tree by Oak Tree Special, and was bred by Cuadra La Presita, who also produced Juanito Y Danny who in the same way was named AQHA Mexican Champion in 2020 and also being a son of the aforementioned stallion Danny Cartel.
Consequently, the aforementioned mare was named Champion Broodmare and Cuadra La Presita designated as Champion Breeder, to which other stakes winning individuals such as Maléfico Cartel, the aforementioned Juanito Y Danny, DK Sato Cartel, Cartel Regio, etc., also contributed.
There were two more outstanding 2-year- old Mexican-bred horses. BR Chivali Champ (by Southern Corona), was first place in the Mexico Futurity and second in the Garañones Futurity-RG2, with earnings close to 2.9 mil- lion pesos. This Mexican Champion 2-Year- Old Colt was bred by Maximiliano Pérez and runs for his Cuadra Bronco Rider.
Likewise, Rey Alfredo (by Fearless Fritz) stood out with earnings of 2.1 million pesos in
his first season, in which he won six of seven starts including the Mexican Bred Futurity Challenge and the Select Auction Consolation, among other achievements, to the satisfaction of the Cuadra Baldeli and his breeder Rachuán Suárez Kuri. Rey Alfredo is the Mexican Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding.
The three-year-old division was well represented by Easy Perry Cartel, who won the Mexican Breeders Derby, was second in the Select Auction Derby and third in the Mexican Breeders Derby Challenge, reaping the title
of Mexican Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. Bred by Everardo Múzquiz Elguezábal, he is a son
of the stallion Jesstified and out of the mare Tessas Decked Out (by Corona Cartel). He is owned by Cuadra San Lorenzo and is trained by Alberto Fernández Pasten.
In the aged horse category, the geld-
ing JRS Coronas Shadow (Coronas Leaving You-Shadow Of Colors, Dashing Val) is the best representative of the 2021 season, having won the Champion of Champions Classic and the Velocidad Classic for owner Cuadra Los Gavilanes and trainer Rubén Romo García.
The performance of the mare RG Chosen Jewel (Dog Daze Afternoon-Gators Girl, Jody O Toole) is outstanding, having set a New World Record in the short distance of 110 yards in :06.74 seconds. She was bred by Juan Pablo McLaurin Castillón and is owned by Rancho Las Gaviotas. For this special achieve- ment, she was distinguished with the Quarter Mile Merit Award. She will go down in history as the first Mexican-bred individual to set a New World Record.
The season for trainer Ismael Ayala
Salas was exceptional, winning the titles
of Champion Trainer for Points and for Stakes Wins. Similar results were obtained by jockey Paul Osvaldo Rodríguez García, distinguished as Champion Jockey for Points and for Stakes Wins.
The above is a summary of the most relevant, detailed information for the 21 horses and the five people and stables receiving awards that are also presented in the corresponding table following.
128 SPEEDHORSE July 2022