Page 62 - 2 March 2012

Hialeah invitational Championship
Jess A RunneR
by John Moorehouse
The $75,000 Hialeah Invitational Championship featured the first-ever 12-horse field for a Quarter Horse race at that track. When it came time to run the race, the consistent Jess A Runner proved best.
The veteran gelding began his 6-year-old campaign with a solid win in the Feb. 19 stakes at Hialeah Park, opening up a lead by daylight and then holding off
a surge by Chi Ter that was too little, too late. Owned
by JK Running Horses
LLC, Jess A Runner posted his ninth win in 27 starts and fifth victory in stakes company. All five stakes wins have come at the 440-yard distance and been registered since the start of the 2010 campaign. The payday from this latest stakes victory, a sum of $45,000, boosted Jess A Runner’s total earnings
over the $250,000 milestone to $279,910. All in all, it was a fine performance for
Jess A Runner in his first-ever out at the Florida track. It also marked his first victory since running away with the Two Rivers Stakes last September at Prairie Meadows.
Trainer Kenny Laymon saddled Jess A Runner, who covered the 440 yards in :21.354
and posted a 103 speed index—his ninth triple-digit index. Jockey Oscar Delgado was aboard.
Jess A Runner is one of two stakes winners out of Katiebug Driver, a 1999 mare homebred by Paul Newmaster. Pretty Girl Kate, a half-sister to Jess A Runner, finished first in the 2007 Kansas Bred Derby.
Chi Ter (Granite Lake- This Chicks Stylish), winner of last year’s running of the
Hialeah Championship as a 26-1 longshot, set- tled for second place this time. Mary Passmore owns the gelding, saddled by trainer Jackie Kirby and ridden by jockey Cody Smith. Fredaville (Mr Jess Perry-Fearless Freda), a former multi-stakes winner herself, finished third for Robert Gentry. Matt Frazier did the prep work and Shanley Jackson rode.
The remaining order of finish was Jazz
Be First (Bono Jazz-Last Shall Be First), Streakin System (Streak And Dash-Kissin System), Tortuga Tony (Stel Corona-Just Wanna Be Me), Fast N Furrious (Country Chicks Man-The Cheetah), KT Makin A Tax Move (Maknmoves-Lanella), Freaking (TR Dasher-Chickasis), Mister D (TR Dasher- Chickasecret), Dashing Coverage (Royal Quick Dash-Special Coverage) and Flyin Fish (Fishers Dash-Jazzing Cheree).
Hialeah Park $75,000 • 440 yards :21.354 • si 103
Streakin La Jolla
Jess Louisiana Blue
Scoopie Fein
JESS A RUNNER, ‘06-g.
My Designated Driver
Katiebug Driver
Shaky Kate
Racing news
Magnolia stakes
sLinKys FoRTune
By Tracy Gantz
slinkys Fortune and Dr Drip have devel- oped quite a rivalry in 870-yard races that often has included the Magnolia Stakes at Louisiana Downs. The two have met 13 times, and nowhere have they cut it as close as in this year’s Magnolia, when Slinkys Fortune edged Dr Drip by a nose.
Leading Patriot went favored in the Feb. 11 Magnolia over both Slinkys Fortune and Dr Drip, and he popped out
of the gate to take the early
lead. Into the turn, Leading
Patriot vied with Louisiana
Blue Step. Orlando Baldillez
on Slinkys Fortune and Jerry
Yoakum on Dr Drip took
different routes to challenge
the leaders. Dr Drip snuck
through on the rail, while
Slinkys Fortune took the
outside route. They collared
the leaders in the stretch and
battled together to the wire,
60 SPEEDHORSE, March 2, 2012
Slinkys Fortune surging up for the narrow victory in :46.103.
Slinkys Fortune and Dr Drip first met in the 2009 Magnolia and have competed in the race four consecutive years. Slinkys Fortune won the 2009 Magnolia, with Dr Drip fourth. In 2010, Dr Drip turned the tables, winning the Magnolia while Slinkys Fortune finished third. In 2011, Dr Drip ran seventh to Slinkys
Fortune’s fourth before they captured the top two spots in this year’s renewal.
With a bankroll that now totals $260,098, Slinkys Fortune also defeated Dr Drip when winning the 2011 Au Revoir Overnight Stakes and 2010 Marathon Stakes. The 8-year-old gelding has won eight stakes throughout his career and placed in seven others. Henry Padgett owns and trains him.
Ronald Gilmer bred Slinkys Fortune in Louisiana from winner Chasing A Fortune. She has two winners from five starters, and Slinkys Fortune is her only stakes winner to date.
Anthony Arey owns and trains Dr Drip (First To Shine-High Seas Operator), also an 8-year-old gelding. Jobaya Foreman’s homebred Louisiana Blue Step (Jess Louisiana Blue-Fortunate Wind) held on for third, with Danny Lavergne in the irons. Kenneth Roberts trains Louisiana Blue Step, who finished second to Slinkys Fortune in the Faubourg St John Stakes.
Completing the field were Streakin King Corona (King Corona-Streakin Pacific), Leading Patriot (Game Patriot- Little Miss Leader-TB), Cat Five Storm (Panther Mountain-She Wants Cash), and Lookinbackatdapack (Dashin Bye-La Silver Streak).
Louisiana Downs $40,000 • 870 yards :46.103 • si 94
Royal Quick Dash
Dashs Slinky
Send Me Satin
SLINKYS FORTUNE, ‘04-g.
Six Fortunes
Chasing A Fortune
By Run Trade Queen
natalie Glyshaw/Lou Hodges Photography Coady Photography