Page 33 - Speedhorse September 2017

Hot Idea wins the 1977 All American Futurity.
Hot Idea Wins The 1977 All American Futurity
The Hot Idea win in the 1977 All American Futurity-G1 was not only a “battle of the sexes,” but it was an example of Delilah taming Samson. Samson being the biblical hero who called on his extraordinary strength to protect his people and how he was tamed by the beautiful and intriguing Delilah.
The difference in our story, however, is that Hot Idea was not considered a great beauty. She was described by those who knew her as “the bargain-basement runt.” She attained this title by way of her size as a 14.2 hand filly. The bargain price came at the 1976 All American Futurity Sale where she sold for $4,000 to the partnership of Ted Bruce and Floyd Jackson, a couple of Texas cotton farmers.
Bruce and Jackson bought her on the recommendation of her trainer, Gene Tefertiller. Tefertiller liked her bloodlines and her fiery temper, and she came at a bargain price because of her “deformed” front leg that had required her to be in a cast for at least six months.
The temper of Hot Idea can put us in mind of Delilah, who had to be a strong-willed person to tame Samson. Hot Idea was described by Ted Bruce in the press as “mean as hell.” It seems
she didn’t like her stall either. She would bump you while in the stall and she was not gentle about it. The press also noted that she was very professional on the track.
Hot Idea was bred by E. L. Baker Jr. and she was royally bred, as her sire was Aforethought TB and she was out of Coquette by Azure Te TB. Aforethought had already sired the 1973 All American winner Timeto Thinkrich. Coquette was out of Be Sure Peggy, who was out of Peggy N, the third dam of the great sire Easy Six, the sire of Streakin Six.
Town Policy is Samson in our look at
the 1977 All American Futurity. He came to Ruidoso undefeated in five starts and had won
some futurities in California, including the Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos. He was the highest earning horse in the All American finals with $74,860.
Hot Idea was on the other end of the spectrum with only one race under her belt going into the trials of the All American. The one start was a race in June that she won but was then diagnosed with a knee chip, so she wasn’t raced again until the All American Futurity trials. Her earnings stood at $2,460.
Town Policy, an eventual 4-time Champion, played his part well as the fastest qualifier with a time of :22.07 for the 440 yards. He was followed by Biffy Pass at :22.11, then Hot Idea
came in as the third fastest qualifier with a time of :22.12. Call Me Gotta had a qualifying time of :22.25 and Jun Jun Ni had the slowest qualifying time of :22.34.
As Delilah found the equalizer in her pursuit to tame Samson by cutting his hair to take his strength away making him a normal man, Hot Idea got her equalizer with a big rain the night before the race that turned the Ruidoso track “muddy.”
The first call of the race went to Jun Jun Ni, and then he was overtaken by Town Policy with Call Me Gotta in the mix. But it was Hot Idea, with Terry Lipham in the saddle, coming from the outside to take the lead from Town Policy to win the race. She won in :21.76, earning
Hot Idea’s 1977 All American winning connections include owners Ted Bruce and Floyd Jackson, trainer Gene Tefertiller, and jockey Terry Lipham.
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