Page 78 - 14 September 2012

Adequan Ajax Downs Derby Challenge
CounTry Boy DeLuxe
by Tracy Gantz
Country Boy Deluxe gets around. Bred in Florida, he began his racing career at Los Alamitos in Southern California. A return to his
native state netted him his first stakes victory, and a foray to Canada brought him his second, in the Aug. 28 Adequan Ajax Downs Derby Challenge.
The win may mean more traveling. By capturing the Derby Challenge, Country Boy Deluxe earned a berth in the Oct. 27 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship at Prairie
Meadows.
Jockey Helen Vanek
broke Country Boy Deluxe on top, and they got into
a little tight quarters with Special Awards and Carnaval to the inside. Nevertheless, Country Boy Deluxe remained in front through- out the 400 yards and drew off to win by 1 1/4 lengths in :20.670 as the 7-5 favorite.
Dan Lucas’ Lucas Racing Inc. bred and owns Country Boy Deluxe, and Greg Watson trains him. While at Los Alamitos, the geld- ing did not win but finished fourth in the Markel Stakes. At Hialeah he captured the Hialeah El Nino Invitational Stakes.
Lucas bred the first two dams of Country Boy Deluxe. Corona Deluxe, the first dam, placed in the 2006 Kindergarten Futurity-G1,
2008 Canterbury Park Express Stakes-G3, and 2008 Skip Zimmerman Memorial Stakes-G3 while earning $168,135. Country Boy Deluxe is the mare’s first foal, and her second starter
is two-year-old Country Chick Magnet. Second dam First Down N Surfin finished third in the 2000 All American Futurity-G1 and is a half-sister to 2005 Broodmare of the Year
Runaway Wave, who produced World Champion Wave Carver and Champion Ocean Runaway.
Gully Enterprises Inc.’s Special Awards (Winning Awards-Special Ignition), ridden by Cody McDaniel, finished second for trainer Alvin Turner. Special Awards’ last victory came in claiming company at Hialeah in February.
Daniel Rose piloted Tres My Steps (Tres Seis-Im Quick Say Bye Bye) to third. Renee Wilson trains the filly for Ivy Lane Racing. In six previous starts, Tres My Steps won three races and finished third twice.
Completing the field were Carnaval (Special Leader-Runaway Wave), Cassies Carver (Wave Carver-Rosas Special), Lil Bit A Stoli (Stoli-Lil Bit Dutch), Uncle Sam Sweetfly (Hawkinson- Shes Sweet N Can Fly), and Bones Show Boy (Kipas Special-Copa Show Girl).
Ajax Downs $35,337 • 400 yards :20.670 • si 80
Chicks Beduino
Country Chicks Man
Country Zevi
COUNTRY BOY DELUXE, ’09-g.
Corona Cartel
Corona Deluxe
First Down N Surfin
Racing news
Alberta Stallion Stakes Derby
erICA rAe
by Tracy Gantz
Ayear ago, Erica Rae came within a nose of becoming a stakes winner when she fin- ished second to Wind River Jess in the Alberta Stallion Stakes Futurity at Northlands Park. The filly avenged herself when the 2-year-olds returned this year at 3 for the Alberta Stallion Stakes Derby.
The two fields bore plenty of similari- ties. Six of the seven starters in the Futurity returned in the Derby,
though Futurity third-place
finisher Youbethejudge was
scratched from the Derby.
The second choice in the
Futurity, Erica Rae moved
into the 4-5 favorite’s role for
the Derby.
With Juan Garcia aboard in the Derby, Erica Rae broke fourth from post seven, while Zillion Dollar Babe sprinted to the lead. That lead was short-lived, however,
76 SPEEDHORSE, September 14, 2012
and Erica Rae prevailed by a half-length over Northforkzoom, getting the 330 yards in :17.260 for a speed index of 90.
William Leech trained the first two
horses across the wire, Erica Rae for Jane Leech and Northforkzoom for owner-breeders Glenn Wills and Tom Copithorne. In addition to her second in the 2011 Futurity, Erica Rae finished fourth in the Alberta Bred Futurity-G3 last fall
at Lethbridge. She has fin- ished in the top three in seven of nine starts with career earnings of $36,648.
Jane Leech bred Erica Rae in Alberta, Canada,
out of winner Genex Star. Erica Rae’s sire is Sizzlin
Red Corona, a stakes winner and multiple track record setter whose dam is a sister to multiple Champion Corona Chick. Genex Star has pro- duced five winners from six
starters, including 2008 Prairie Gold Futurity winner Eye Cant Wait and stakes-placed Canadian Eyedol. The second dam is multiple stakes winner Hotter N Hotter.
Northforkzoom (Mezoomn-RJ Bitterroot Babe), ridden by Logun Gotham, ended up a neck ahead of third-place Runnin Troubadour (Mezoomn-Queens Signature). Teagan Oulton piloted Runnin Troubadour for trainer Janice Sather, who bred and owns the gelding with Barry Sather.
Rounding out the field were Asbigastexas (Birdzilla-TB-Sables Val), Wind River Jess (Crimson Jess-JDS Wind River), CR Pro In Motion (Promised Class-Long Gone Jenna Jean), Zillion Dollar Babe (Birdzilla-TB- Fantastic Race Babe), and Myrna Maureen (Promised Class-Lil Bita Heather). Little Sissy Foo Foo and Youbethejudge were scratched.
Northlands Park $28,054 • 330 yards :17.260 (hand timed) • si 90
Fishers Dash
Sizzlin Red Corona
Corona Wild
ERICA RAE, ’09-f.
Super De Kas
Genex Star
Hotter N Hotter
Coady Photography Clive Cohen: new Image Media