Page 35 - Speedhorse September 2017

Elans Special Wins The 1987 All American Futurity
The win by Elans Special in the 1987 All American Futurity-G1 starts with two factors
to point out. Elans Special had Florida ties and her win gave the state of Florida back-to-back wins, as the 1986 All American Futurity winner was Ronas Ryon, owned by a partnership that included Ben Benham from Florida. Ronas Ryon then added the 1987 All American Derby to his win column. The other factor is that Elans Special was the first filly to win the race since Hot Idea did it in 1977.
Elans Special was a homebred raced by
her breeder Dr. Lindsey Burbank, a Florida dentist. She was sired by 1981 Ruidoso Triple Crown winner Special Effort, who also won the Kansas, Rainbow and All American Futurities. Elans Special was out of Dash Again by Dash For Cash. Dr. Burbank had developed a good broodmare band over the years, including the line of mares that produced Elans Special. He not only bred Elans Special, but also her dam Dash Again who was out of Elan Again.
The summer of 1987 at Ruidoso Downs was shaping up to be another “battle of the sexes” between Elans Special and Shoot Yeah when it came time for the All American. Shoot Yeah came to Ruidoso with a win in the Sun Country Futurity-G1 and earned his final credentials to the All American when he won the Kansas Futurity. He came into the All American as the top qualifier, having won his two elimination trials, with a time of :21.46.
Elans Special came to Ruidoso with her trainer John Buchanan. She made the finals
of the Kansas and Rainbow Futurities and finished third in the Rainbow Futurity. Dash For Speed, who the winner of the Rainbow and second in the Kansas Futurity, was not in the All American. This opened the door for Elans Special, who won both of her trials to set up a filly showdown with the colt Shoot Yeah.
Shoot Yeah was installed as the morning line favorite with Elans Special the second choice. However, Shoot Yeah was scratched two hours before the race when he was diagnosed with a ligament tear on his splint. This moved Elans Special up to the race favorite at 5-2. Ironically, she qualified as the 5th fastest qualifier in :22.01. Jody O Toole was listed at 3-1 and he qualified as the 6th fastest. Kisses To Yawl was 9-2 and he qualified as the 9th fastest.
When the gates opened, Elans Special got the first call and she was never headed, taking a wire-to-wire victory. She carried Alex Baldillez to a 1 3/4-length win in :21.49, earning $1,000,000. This was the third fastest time in the history of the race. And, she was the first filly to win the All American Futurity that also ran in the trials and finals of all three Ruidoso Triple Crown races.
Elans Special wins the 1987 All American Futurity.
It was close for second, third and fourth, with Elaina Ray, the 10th fastest qualifier, coming in second and 8th fastest qualifier Send Me The Candy in third. The order of finish for the rest of the field was Jody O’ Toole, Dashing Encounter, Teller Belle, Back To Cash, Kisses
To Yawl and Cool Rainy Night. Kisses To Yawl stumbled badly at the start and was never able to get back in it.
Jockey Baldillez had this to say after the race, “Our worst competition is ourselves. The two times she’s gotten beat here, she beat
herself. She’s either acted up in the gate or left there wrong.”
He then added, “Today she kind of took a step forward right when they kicked the gates. When she left in front, I never saw anybody. I looked back with about 150 yards to go to see if I was really that far in front. I hit her a couple of times, but that was more to assure me.”
Elans Special made 10 starts at two, with seven wins, one second and one third, earning $1,071,341. She came back at three to run
in six races, with two wins, two seconds and
Elans Special’s 1987 All American winning connections include owner L.D. Burbank, trainer
John Buchanan and jockey Alex Baldillez. Pictured here are Gerald O’Connor, jockey Alex Baldillez, Phillip Mote, and owners Dr. & Mrs. Lindsey Burbank.
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