Page 140 - Speedhorse June 2019

Heritage Place Futurity-G1
UPTOWNE BABE
by Tracy Gantz
Sam Green of Monett, Missouri, sells real estate for a living. One day when he discov- ered a client liked racehorses, he wisecracked, “Yeah, I’d like to have a racehorse one day and oceanfront property.”
Two years later the client told him that someone was dispersing his horses. Green bought a couple, which ultimately led to breeding Heritage Place Futurity-G1 winner Uptowne Babe.
“I don’t have very many mares—about four,” Green said. “I take their babies to the sales and normally sell them.”
Last year he entered Uptowne Babe, a nice Mr Jess Perry filly out of a stakes-producing mare, in the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.
“To me, she was worth a little more than she was bringing, especially since I’m a brood- mare guy,” said Green. “So, I bought her back.”
Green bid Uptowne Babe back in for $40,000. That seemed like a wise decision, since she would make a good broodmare prospect. But, he also retained a talented racehorse. Uptowne Babe proved worth
10 times that $40,000 when she won the Heritage Place Futurity-G1.
Breaking from the outside post position and ridden by Rolando Raudales, Uptowne Babe broke like a shot and powered to the lead.
Green, his family, and their friends were standing near the finish line. Someone behind
them took a video that showed every moment as they screamed with excitement.
“I figured it was going
to be a blanket finish
because all of the horses
were so good,” Green said.
“About a third of the way,
I thought man she’s really
doing good. Then about
halfway through I thought
she might win it. About
three-fourths of the way, I
thought I hope the jockey
hangs onto her because the only way she won’t win it is if he falls off.”
Raudales not only didn’t fall off, he got Uptowne Babe home to win by 3/4-length in :17.632. At that point in the video, bedlam ensued as her connections jumped up and down, high-fiving each other.
“We just erupted when she went across the finish line,” said Green.
After Green brought Uptowne Babe home from the sale, he turned her over to trainer Guillermo Valdivia. Valdivia trained Uptowne Babe through her first three starts, with Pedro Hernandez-Pulido then taking over.
“He did a fantastic job training her,” said Green. “Pedro here did a wonderful job finish- ing her off.”
In four prior starts, Uptowne Babe was second in a maiden, won her trial to the Remington Park Oklahoma- Bred Futurity-RG1, was third finals, and then was second in the May 10 Heritage Place Futurity trials for the fouth qualifying spot.
Green bred Updowne Babe in Oklahoma from
his homebred Ms Southern Dynasty, winner of the 2012 Hialeah Lassie Futurity. Ms
Southern Dynasty has produced five winners in eight starters, including $721,343-earner Uptown Dynasty, a full brother to Uptowne Babe and winner of the 2017 Ruidoso Futurity-G1.
Green’s mares reside most of the year in Oklahoma, at Royal Vista Southwest and Bob Moore Farms. Once the foals are about 30 days old, he brings the horses back to his place in Missouri so that he can raise the foals.
“It’s a fun thing that I like, to watch them grow,” he said.
He admitted that the breeding business can be a roller-coaster. Unfortunately, he lost a “real nice baby” about 10 days before the Heritage Place final. Uptowne Babe’s victory headed the roller-coaster back in the right direction.
Remington Park $963,100 • 350 yards :17.632 • si 86
Streakin La Jolla
Mr Jess Perry
Scoopie Fein
UPTOWNE BABE, ‘17-f.
FDD Dynasty
Ms Southern Dynasty
Southern Price
138 SPEEDHORSE, June 2019
Uptowne Babe & Rolando Raudales receive every call in the $963,100 Heritage Place Futurity
RACING NEWS
Dustin Orona Photography