Page 178 - July 2022

RACING NEWS
Mountain Top Derby
RIVER FLASH
by John Moorehouse
River Flash certainly appears to be hitting his stride.The three-year-old gelding made his third straight trip to the winner’s circle, taking
the $162,848 Mountain Top New Mexico Bred Derby, held June 18 at Ruidoso Downs.
River Flash started this current win streak in the New Mexico Breeders Stakes-G3, back in April at SunRay Park. Then he won his trial for the Mountain Top, covering the 350 yards in :18.098, placing him fifth
on the qualifying ladder.
River Flash came back significantly faster for the Mountain Top Derby finals, finishing in :17.489 for a 94 speed index while running into an 11 mph headwind.
Trained by Wesley Giles, the sophomore gelding broke on top from the outside gate in the 10-horse field. River Flash got stronger with every stride, leading by a 1/2-length
307 First Futurity
BABY I DU
by Michael Compton
Fastest qualifier Baby I Du did just what was expected in the 307 First Open Futurity worth $65,250 at Energy Downs on June
26. The odds-on favorite ran to his odds in dispatching six rivals in the 300-yard test for 2-year-olds in Gillette, Wyoming.
Ridden by Shaunda Larsen, Baby I Du raced in 5th position early after getting bumped leaving the starting gate. The sorrel gelding recovered quickly, however, and simply flew through the
lane to win going away by
a 1/2-length in the end. In registering his second stakes score, Baby I Du stopped
the timer in the fast time of :15.274, just ticks off PYC Disco’s Track Record of :15.037 set in 2021. His final clocking earned a career best 103 speed index.
Owned by Daisy Carlson and Joe Goggins, Baby I
Du improved his record to
at the first call, doubling his advantage entering the stretch and continuing to widen the gap, hitting the wire with a 1 1/2-length margin.
Jockey Emilio Tapia had the riding assignment as River Flash logged his third career stakes victory. The gelding also won last year’s running of the New Mexico State Fair Juvenile, held at Albuquerque.
Robert Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey own River Flash, who improved his overall record to 5-1-0 in nine
starts—all accumulated on the lucrative New Mexico Quarter Horse circuit. River Flash’s latest triumph brought home a $68,396 payday that improved his total earnings to $180,980.
The Ivey Cattle Co. bred River Flash out of winner Riverside Flash, who was a finalist in the 2017 Zia Futurity-RG1 and New Mexico Classic Cup
4-3(2)-1-0 and the $32,625 winner’s share of the purse increased his bankroll to $50,355.
Baby I Du won the Bucking Horse Sale Futurity at Miles City on May 22 and annexed his trial heat to this race by 3/4-length at Energy Downs on June 12.
In his only other outing, Baby I Du finished second, defeated just a neck in the Bucking Horse Sale Open Futurity Trial at Miles City.
The son of Champion Duponte was bred in Oklahoma by Flag Ranch LLC, and he is produced from the stakes-placed One Famous Eagle mare Lil Baby Eagle, who finished second in the 2017 Gopher State Derby at Canterbury Park. Baby I Du is her first starter from two foals and was an $18,000 sale graduate of last September’s Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma.
Futurity-RG2. River Flash is her first winner from two starters.
Daddies Wish (Big Daddy Cartel-Wish You Had One To) was second under Sergio Becerra Jr. for owners Julie Schoenhofer and Maricela Vasquez and trainer Eric Valenzuela.
Classy Moon (First Moonflash-Shez Classy Now) was third under Ricky Ramirez for owners Sissie and Bob McClure and trainer Fred Danley.
Day Thuggin (Big Daddy Cartel-Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle), Big Crush BB (Big Daddy Cartel-Eagles First Down), Legende (Big Daddy Cartel-Alice K White), Run Time (Big Daddy Cartel-First Prize Amanda), LMG First Call (First Moonflash-Call Me 333), Flashing The Ivory (First Moonflash-Special Dark Ivory) and Hunky McGoo (Big Daddy Cartel- Physical Touch) completed the field.
Trained by Jesse Villegas, Pablito (Adashofjess-Pryors Chick) finished a game second after seeing the lead briefly in the lane under jockey Luis Peralta. Pablito is a Wyoming homebred for Runnin Horses Dot Com and is a 2-time winner from four career starts. He finished fifth behind Baby I Du in the Bucking Horse Sale Futurity.
Jesse Villegas trained Eagles Peak
(Jr Dynasty Mountain-Minnie Has the Dough), with jockey Valente Vorrath in the saddle, finished third after dueling with Pablito in the early stages. The two-time winner races for Bernard Dinneen, who also bred the brown gelding in Utah. Eagles Peak won his June 12 trial to qualify with the 7th fastest time.
Hiclass and Famous (Famous Painted One-Hiclass Little Lily), Heza Spirited Ace (Apollitical Spirit-Aces Beduino), Flashy
Doe (Winners Version-Deer Corn) and Flightofthephoenix (Fly Thru the Fire-Aqua Hawk) completed the order of finish. Jess Half, KVN is Kool, and Quicky were scratched.
176 SPEEDHORSE July 2022
Ruidoso Downs
$162,848 • 350 yards :17.489 • si 94
Chicks Beduino
Chicks Regard
First Regard
RIVER FLASH, ‘19-g.
First Moonflash
Riverside Flash
Riverside Eye Opener
Energy Downs
$65,250 • 300 yards :15.274 • si 103
American Runaway
Duponte
Havanah Goodtime
BABY I DU, ‘20-g.
One Famous Eagle
Lil Baby Eagle
Babyigotchamoney
Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs