Page 83 - 14 September 2012

IQhrA Fall Sale Futurity
CATChIn FIre
by John Moorehouse
Catchin Fire proved to be an aptly named horse on Sept. 2 at Prairie Meadows. The young filly made a fiery finish in the IQHRA
Fall Sale Futurity, sprinting to the line first and bringing home the winner’s share of the $63,428 purse for owner Thomas Lepic.
The fastest qualifier and heavy betting favorite was getting less than even-money from the odd- smakers at post time. Catchin Fire got squeezed
a bit at the start when, after
emerging from the six gate,
the horses in the adjacent gates
both drifted toward her. Jockey
Agustin Silva kept the promis-
ing filly on course. Catchin
Fire knifed between the two
horses that were crowding her,
and made a steady run into
the lead. By mid-stretch, she
had separated herself by a half-
length from the rest of the field
and went on to win by that
same margin.
Prepped by trainer Kasey Willis, Catchin Fire finished the 350-yard race in :17.756 and registered a 90 speed index. That time bettered her :17.876 effort in the futurity trials, which was the fastest qualifying time registered, by more than a tenth of a second.
Lepic cashed a $31,248 payday for the victory, the second in three career outs for Catchin Fire, whose lifetime earnings
increased to $35,153.
Jim Harvey bred Catchin
Fire, who was foaled in Iowa out of Rodeo Rona, an unraced 2001 mare whom Harvey also owns. Catchin Fire becomes the first stakes winner in the brood, which includes three starters among four total offspring, but the second to earn
black type. Talkin Dirty, a half-sister to Catchin Fire, finished second in the 2007
running of the Jim Bader Futurity-RG3 at Prairie Meadows.
Hada Certain Charm (Hadtobenuts-LK Classy Perk), the runner-up, is owned by
Leo Butell and Mike Schau. Ed Hardy is the trainer and Thomas Wellington did the riding.
Ivebeenrotten (Fly Jess Fly-Pipsqueak Shazoom) came on strong late to finish third. Tony Dean Jones and Robert Moore own
the gelding, who is trained by Jones and had Berkley Packer aboard.
The remaining order of finish was Ivorys Special Lady (Ivory James-Special Moon Beam), Dora Be Quick (Special Legend-Ru Upity), Dorothys Doll (Scrutinizer-Dorothy Dorothy), Dun Gone Fishin (Fishin Tony- Eyem Johns Girl) and Fannies Lil Spitcurl (Spit Curl Jess-Whatsthatfillysname). Carters Crown and Willie Be Gone were scratched.
Prairie Meadows $63,428 • 350 yards :17.756 • si 90
Chicks Beduino
Chicks A Blazin
Forthe Loveofhoney
CATCHIN FIRE, ‘10-f.
Cowboys Rodeo
Rodeo Rona
Bugged Angel
racing news
Gillespie County Fair Association Futurity-G3
SPIT CurL JeSSe
By Michael Compton
Closing out four weekends of racing at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds in Fredericksburg, Texas, Spit Curl Jesse
captured the $120,400 Gillespie County Fair Association Futurity-G3, the richest race of the meet, on Aug. 26. It was the second stakes win of the meeting for the 2-year-old gelding, who also annexed the TQHA Futurity on July 21.
Sent off as the mild 3-1 favorite in a field of 10 youngsters, Spit Curl
Jesse broke sharply along
with early leader Cougar
Hill. With jockey Thomas Ramirez in the irons, Spit Curl Jesse kept to task through the lane and just did get his nose down on the line to defeat Cougar Hill by a nose. Cruisin Finish ran evenly to finish third, a neck behind Cougar Hill.
Spit Curl Jesse stopped the clock in :17.618 for the
350 yards. The victory, worth $42,140, boosted Spit Curl Jesse’s earnings to $56,385. Bred in Texas by Juan Escalante of Denver City, Texas, Spit Curl Jesse is owned by Reyes Vasquez, also of Denver City. Candelario Montes Jr. has taken over training duties from Michael Chavez, who saddled the gelding in his first two races.
Spit Curl Jesse’s dam, Linda Laveaux, by First Down Laveaux out of
Fannie Oakley, won three of 14 starts and earned $32,643 in her racing career. She was a graded stakes finalist in Louisiana, and Spit Curl Jesse is her only foal of racing age. Linda Laveaux was bred in Texas by Curtis Young.
Fastest qualifier Cougar Hill (Panther Mountain- Lovers Dash), piloted by Jerry Yoakum, is owned by Luis Armando Castellanos, was
bred in Louisiana by Bolivar Bishop and Aaron Cooper and is trained by Judy Beavin. Cougar Hill was a graded stakes finalist at Delta Downs earlier this year.
Cruisin Finish (Shazoom-Jess Cruisin), ridden by Luis Vivanco, was bred in Texas by Johnny Trotter/Burnett Ranches and is cam- paigned by Jose Luis Alonso Graniel. Eusevio Huitron is the conditioner.
Reporting home behind the top three
were Queenoffury (Furyofthewind-Princess Phoebe), Haleys Dashing Hope (Strong Hope- Feet Down First), Bobcat Moon (Boknaai- Contessa Run), Cash N FDD Dynasty (FDD Dynasty-Cash Cartel), Cunning And Coy (Carters Cartel-A Lil Known Fact), RDD Dashin Effort (Dashin Bye-Miss Native Effort), and Pieceofperfection (Furyofthewind- Princess Sarah Lee).
Gillespie County Fair $120,400 • 350 yards :17.618 • si 94
Mr Jess Perry
Spit Curl Jess
Lil Spit Curl
SPIT CURL JESSE, ’10-g.
First Down Laveaux
Linda Laveaux
Fannie Oakley
SPEEDHORSE, September 14, 2012 81
white oak Studio Jack Coady: Coady Photography