Page 38 - Speedhorse September 2017

Texas Futurity was Wild Six.
The next start for Heartswideopen was a
win in her trial for the Ruidoso Futurity-G1. The Ruidoso Futurity was the second race that put Heartswideopen and Wild Six against each other. Wild Six flipped in the starting gate and she was scratched. Heartswideopen won the race, giving her the first stakes win of her career. Heartswideopen covered the 350-yard distance in a stakes record time of :17.08.
Draper had trained for the All American before, and he followed a similar plan that called for him to rest Heartswideopen until the trials to the All American. The rumors went rampant that Heartswideopen was injured, but Draper found that the rest allowed the filly to grow and develop to help them accomplish the All American win.
The race set up just as it was supposed to, with Heartswideopen winning trial seven in a time of :20.92 for the 440 yards. This was the fastest trial time for an All American ever run at that distance. She was the 9-10 favorite in the finals. Sure I Bet, SF Royal Bank and Captain Courage also qualified from this trial. Wild Six did her part to set up the rematch as the second fastest qualifier, winning her trial in :21.05.
When the gates opened in the finals, Heartswideopen, with Oscar Hernandez in the saddle, “ducked” to the outside. Hernandez got her going and then, as they came to the stands, she drifted in, but he was able to keep her going. As the race progressed, SF Royal Bank and Captain Courage were getting the call, dueling it out along the inside of the track with Greatful Heart in there as well. Then from the outside, Heartswideopen came bounding from behind to get a head win in :20.99 to earn the $1,000,000 first place check.
SF Royal Bank, an 18-1 long shot, was second and 22-1 long shot Captain Courage came in third and Greatful Heart fourth. The rest of the finishing order was Libbys Feature, Wild Six, Coronas Fast Dash and Strong Hope. The qualifiers Royal Holland Line and Sure I Fly were scratched. Wild Six never seemed to fire and this was her first defeat in six starts, giving Heartswideopen the win in the rubber match.
Heartswideopen made seven starts at two with six wins. She was named the 2007 Champion
2 Year Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, earning $1,282,690. The 3-year-old racing season for Heartswideopen saw her win five of six starts, with two stakes wins in the Ruidoso Derby-G1 and Rainbow Derby-G2, and she nearly pulled off a triple crown when she came in second in the
Heartswideopen wins the 2007 All American Futurity.
Heartswideopen’s winning connections include owner Javier Rodriguez, trainer Carl Draper & jockey Oscar Hernandez.
All American Derby-G1. She earned $602,593 at three. Her record that year made her the Champion 3 Year Old and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. She has a combined record of 13 starts, with 11 wins and one second earning $1,885,283.
Heartswideopen was purchased in 2009 by Julianna Hawn Holt for her famous broodmare band. Heartswideopen is the dam of three starters and two ROM. Her leading money earner to date is Bellissma Chocolata, a winner of $23,164 that finished sixth in the 2017 Oklahoma Derby-G2 at Remington Park.
The Rodriguez brothers were active racing enthusiasts in Mexico who came to the U.
S. where the money was better. They picked Heartswideopen to start their racing activities and
they ended up winning the All American Dream on their first try. Some people have all the luck.
An added note: Trainers Carl Draper and Paul Jones had their own dual during this time period of 1998-2007. Carl won the 2004 and the 2007 All American, while Paul won the 2005 and 2006 All American, giving these trainers the last four All American wins of that decade.
The win by Heartswideopen in the 2007 All American Futurity-G1 was listed as a “battle.” Not of the sexes, but of the fillies.
Looking back at the 1967, 1977, 1987, 1997 and 2007 All American Futurities, we see that these five strong ladies reached the pinnacle of racing by winning the All American Futurity. As first lady Rosalynn Carter, wife of the 39th President of the United States Jimmy Carter, once said, “You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” Good advice to those of both sexes looking to live the All American Dream.
36 SPEEDHORSE, September 2017
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