Page 25 - September 2015

by Larry Thornton
1985 All American Futurity 1995 All American Winner MR TRUCKA JET Futurity Winner WINALOTA CASH
With the disqualification behind them, Savannah Jr would come back in the All American Futurity trials with a third behind Moore Go and Cee Bar Deck. He would qualify as the fifth fastest qualifier. He would start in the finals in the number one hole.
A big part of the story for the finals of the 1965 All American Futurity brings the weather into the picture. Wells explained to Chamberlain, “About noon, it come a flood. And, of course, the inside was terrible.” Wells went on to explain that the inside of the track was the worst part of the track, but the one hole was not all bad as it would keep Savannah Jr from lugging. He would also put some mud stickers on the horse, but by race time the track was described as ‘a sea of slop.’
Savannah Jr would enter the gate and break with the field and then pull away to a commanding lead. He won by a length and
a half with Art’s Model finishing second and race favorite Rapid Volley coming in third. He paid $6.40 to win and earned $192,730 of the record purse of $419,460. The purse proved to be greater than projected because six horses were supplemented into the race at $12,500 per horse. The remaining order of finish would be Four Forty Queen, Ruby Charge, Cee Bar Deck, Suwannee Bars, Deck Be There, Moore Go, Counterplay and Miss Gold Angel.
Savannah Jr would go back that fall to Sunland Park and annex another stakes win with the Sunland Fall Futurity. His win in
this race gave him three stakes wins and earnings of $242,139 for the year, making him the leading money winner for the year. His
2005 All American Futurity Winner TELLER CARTEL
1965 All American Futurity winner Savannah Jr
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