Page 190 - July 2022

RACING NEWS
Born Runner Classic
ROCK HARD CANDY
Rby Michael Cusortelli
ock Hard Candy broke sharply from the 2-post
and sprinted to a wire-to-wire victory in the 400-yard Born Runner Classic for state-bred aged runners at Horseshoe Indianapolison June 4.
A homebred 5-year-old son of the Corona Cartel stallion Escondido Beach racing for Lance and Tammy Finlinson, Rock Hard Candy defeated odds on favorite Beach Blast by 1-length in :19.609. German Rodriguez rode the bay gelding for trainer Randy Smith.
During the Horseshoe Indianapolis off-season, Rock Hard Candy underwent surgery at the Caesars Entertainment Equine Hospital to remove a chip from one of his knees.
Rock Hard Candy has won four of 17 races, and the $45,870 winner’s share of the $83,400 purse increased his earnings to $114,912.
Rock Hard Candy is out of Jesses Candy, a winning daughter of Champion Mr Jess Perry. His second dam, the Leaving Memories mare Send Me The Candy, won the 1996 Remington Park Futurity-G1.
A four-time stakes winner, Beach Blast (Escondido Beach-Jess Alive Bully) earned the $16,680 runner-up share of the purse for owners Keith Bode and Deborah Smith. Juan D. Marquez rode the 4-year-old gelding for trainer Randy Smith.
Jess A Flyin Beach (Escondido Beach-Jess
Alive Bully) ran third for owner and trainer Tony Cunningham. Jose Beltran rode the 5-year-old gelding.
Stone Lake (Escondido Beach-Silly Chix), Up Town J Ray (Escondido Beach-Shazilla), Kitty Sixup (Sixes Liaison-Keens Cat), J J Zoomin (Jess Zoomin-Justa Dance), Beach Benny (Escondido Beach-Streaking Stitches), El Aviador (Jazz Be First-Southern Honeymoon), and HH C J Shake (Escondido Beach-Shakem Jake) completed the order of finish.
Horseshoe Stakes
WRS VALENTINO
Tby John Moorehouse
he Indiana Quarter Horse circuit continues to
pay off handsomely for WRS Valentino. The six-year-old gelding, who has raced exclusively in Indiana to date, tallied the fifth stakes victory of his career on June 7 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, winning the $34,000 Horseshoe Stakes.
The veteran gelding stumbled somewhat coming out of the 2-post, but jockey Juan Marquez helped him recover and WRS Valentino was running in first by a neck as he reached the first call. He led by a head going into the stretch and held on to win by that same margin, covering the 350 yards in :17.513 for a 103 speed index.
Randy Smith, the all-time leading trainer
in Quarter Horse competition at Horseshoe Indianapolis, trains WRS Valentino. Williams Racing Stables Inc. home-bred WRS Valentino out of WRS Kissandteller.
WRS Valentino reached the winner’s circle for
the ninth time in a total of 18 starts. The $19,690 payday from this event improved the gelding’s lifetime bankroll to $379,418. Perhaps more impressive than his win total or his earnings amount, WRS Valentino has never finished worse than second in a race.
Ollie Matthews owns and trains Hooked On Jordan (Fast Prize Jordan-Hooked On Laveaux), who finished second with Isidro Banuelos in the irons. High Rolling Seize (Seize The Win-Crossing The Brazos) hit the board in third under Shanley Jackson for owner Glenn Graff and trainer Matt Frazier.
Relentless Chick (Hes Relentless-Meaningful Memories), Abe (Jazz Be First-Magics Born Illusion), Jess Gimme A Kiss (Kiss My Hocks-Perrys Dreamgirl), El Huracan Ethics (Ethics Aside- Dashingforsofia), Jess Over Yonder (Apollitical Jess- Wyld Bleu Yonder) and WRS Moonin Thewagon (Moonin The Eagle-WRS Quick Wagon) completed the official order of finish.
Princess Derby
EYE LIVE FOR CANDY
Eby Michael Cusortelli
ye Live For Candy, a daughter of A Revenant
racing for Milena Kwiecien of Burlington, Ontario, and the fastest qualifier, sprinted to a convincing 1 3/4-length victory in the $40,645 Princess Derby for sophomore fillies at Ajax Downs on June 19.
Ridden by Ismael Mosqueira for trainer Jason Pascoe and racing against a reported 17-mph head wind, Eye Live For Candy went 350 yards in :18.021, earning an 89 speed index. The brown filly earned $16,259 from her first career stakes win.
Raced at three tracks, including Remington Park in Oklahoma and Canterbury Park in Minnesota, Eye Live For Candy has won three of 13 starts and has banked $55,184. The filly ended her 2 year old season with a second-place finish in the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity at Ajax Downs, and she was also a finalist in the Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity.
Eye Live For Candy was bred in Wyoming
by Klay Hinck, and she was purchased privately
by Kwiecien from Hinck in 2021. The filly is out
of Eyesa Candy Maker, a winning daughter of Champion Eyesa Special, who ran third in the 2008 Remington Park Derby-G1.
JTC Lil Moonbar (Jess Twice Cash-Shinin Moonbar) finished second under Ramiro Castillo for owner/trainer Don Reid.
John S. Wilson’s Oh My Gawd (Wave Carver- Andaley Okey) ran third, 2-lengths behind Eye Live For Candy. Carly Furlonger rode the sorrel filly for trainer Scott Reid.
Sacred Heart (Favorite Cartel-Tahma Hawk), SW Snowmagicallykool (Maryland Magic-Barbie Kool), Scarletts Cartel (Carters Cartel-Scarlett Jewel), On Pointe (Duponte-Azoomin With Jessie), Dawns Early Light (Big Daddy Cartel-First Dawn Dash), Dont Give Me Lip (Jess Lips-La Corona Gal), and LRH Voodoo Runner (Jet Black Patriot-LRH Shezacopyofice) completed the order of finish.
Ajax Downs • $40,645
350 yards • :18.021 • si 89
Mr Jess Perry
Thewayouwantmetoo
Eyesa Special
Eyesa Candy Maker
A Revenant
EYE LIVE FOR CANDY, ‘19-f.
Send Me The Candy
Horseshoe Indianapolis • $83,400
400 yards • :19.609 • si 103
Corona Cartel
Escondido Beach
ROCK HARD CANDY, ‘17-g. Jesses Candy
Six On The Beach Mr Jess Perry
Send Me The Candy
Horseshoe Indianapolis • $35,442
350 yards • :17.513 • si 103
Valiant Hero
Mighty B Valiant
WRS VALENTINO, ‘16-g.
Mighty B Doll
Teller Cartel
WRS Kissandteller
Hava Zevi
188 SPEEDHORSE July 2022
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
Clive Cohen