Page 188 - Speedhorse, December 2018

Texas Classic Futurity-G1
FLYING COWBOY 123
by John Moorehouse
Ask any trainer what makes a race horse successful, and they might give you a lengthy answer about the background and history of that competitor.
Ask G. Blane Wood what has made his trainee Flying Cowboy 123 so good, and you get a two-word response that is entirely accurate.
“He’s fast,” Wood said with a chuckle.
Indeed. The rookie colt dashed to his first career stakes win when he took the $1,014,657 Texas Classic Futurity-G1 at Lone Star Park on Nov. 10.
The race marked the fourth victory in six total starts for Flying Cowboy 123, who is owned by Paragon Farms, LLC.
The stakes win also produced a whopping $451,523 payday, pushing the colt’s lifetime earnings to $564,423.
“He likes to run, likes his job and he knows what he’s here for,” said Wood, who currently leads the AQHA trainer standings for money earned.
“He’s just nice to be around,” Wood continued. “He’s kind of always sitting on go. He’s ready.”
Flying Cowboy 123 already had black type, finishing third in
another Grade 1 race, the
Rainbow Futurity held July
22 at Ruidoso Downs. In that race, he drifted in a bit after breaking tardy in eighth place. He made up a ton of ground, however, to take the show spot in the $1 mil-
lion event. His effort in the Rainbow Futurity-G1 was good for a $100,000 payday.
“He has ran good all
year,” Wood stated. “He
caught some hard luck at
Ruidoso in some trial heats, \[but\] he’s run some good races and it was his turn.”
That first stakes victory did not come easy. The colt broke fourth from the
four-gate and had to chase down Eagles Fly Higher down the stretch to secure the win.
Flying Cowboy 123 was third going into the stretch and finished first by a head. Ricky Ramirez was
aboard for the 400-yard run, finished in :19.692
for a 97 speed index. Ramirez switched from Apocalyptical Jess, another Wood trainee and winner of the All American Futurity, to Flying Cowboy 123 for the Texas Classic Futurity stakes finals.
“It was close. It was real close,” Wood said.
“We were having a heck of a horse race with the \[No.\] 1 horse \[Eagles Fly Higher\],” he
continued. “I thought our jockey, Ricky, did a heck of a job. I wasn’t sure that we won it at first, because it was so close.”
Lone Star Park $1,014,657 • 400 yards :19.692 • si 97
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
Apollitical Time
FLYING COWBOY 123, ‘16-c.
Takin On The Cash
Hot Cash 123
To Hot To Hug
186 SPEEDHORSE, December 2018
Flying Cowboy 123 (#4) and Ricky Ramirez score a head victory in the $1,014,657 Texas Classic Futurity-G1
RACING NEWS
Dustin Orona Photography