Page 76 - 28 December 2012

Louisiana Champions day derby-rG3
roCky MountAIn FLy
by John Moorehouse
Christmas came early for Rocky Mountain Fly’s connections. The 3-year-old gelding soared to his biggest win ever on Dec. 8 at the
Fair Grounds, finishing first in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Derby-RG3.
Owned by Douglas Traylor, Rocky Mountain Fly improved his record to 4-1-2 in 11 outs, and logged his first ever stakes victory. The $45,000 payday for the derby win more than doubled his prior bank-
roll to $80,435.
Rocky Mountain Fly and Political Option battled all the way to the wire in this 400-yard derby. Stevie Gillum brought Rocky Mountain
Fly out of the outside starting position in the 12-horse field. Although Rocky Mountain Fly was one of the slowest
to get out of the gates, the gelding was running in the middle of the pack by the first
call and still was fifth behind leader Political Option at the midway point of the race. Rocky Mountain Fly made a driving finish, catching Political Option in the final stride and getting to the wire first by a head.
Kenneth Roberts Sr. trains Rocky Mountain Fly, who covered the 400 yards in :19.683 for a 103 speed index. Bred by SKT Farms Inc., the gelding is the second stakes
winner out of Dealafly,
a 2001 mare who also foaled Dealagame, winner of the 2009 LQHBA Sale Futurity-RG1 and earner of more than $200,000.
Political Option (Jess Louisiana Blue-In His Dreams), the runner-up, also comes out of Roberts’ barn. Carlos Lozano is the owner and jockey John Hamilton rode the multiple stakes- placed gelding.
Coors Select (Oak Tree Special-Miss Coors Cartel), the pre-race favorite, hit the board in third for Polly Coleman. The Alvin Brossette trainee had Gilbert Ortiz aboard. Coors
Select won last year’s running of the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile.
JLS Game Boy (Game Patriot-In The First Place), Unquestionable (Oak Tree Special-Real Or Imagined), AJS Fast Dash (Heza Fast Dash- Snows Refrigerator), Lil Jess Oak (Oak Tree Special-Lil Jess Print), La Jolla Fast Dash (Heza Fast Dash-Hollywood La Jolla), Klassy Prize Perry (First Prize Perry-Klassy Holland), Rapid Transit (Dashin Bye-WW Shuboom Shuboom), Mossy Oak Tree (Oak Tree Special-All Eyes On Madison) and Intriguing Jess Blue (Jess Louisiana Blue-Call Me Intriguing) completed the field. Rakin In Romeo and Tachas Got Game were both scratched.
Fair Grounds $100,000 • 400 yards :19.683 • si 103
Meter Me Gone
Panther Mountain
Cash This Runner
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLY, ’09-g.
Strawfly Special
Dealafly
Dealasix
Racing news
Louisiana Champions day Classic-rG2
MArtInI MountAIn
by Michael Compton
Martini Mountain started 2012 on a win- ning note back in January and closed out his season the same way, upsetting 11 rivals
in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic-G2 at Fair Grounds on Dec. 8.
Piloted by his regular rider Danny Lavergne, Martini Mountain flashed sharp speed away from the gate in the 440-yard fixture, breaking on top from post position No. 11. He quickly opened
up a half-length on the field
and dug in gamely through
the lane to hit the wire a
neck in front of fast-closing
La Mos Chingono. Martini
Mountain, dismissed at odds
of 47-1, covered the distance
in a sprightly :21.425 for a
speed index of 105.
Martini Mountain, owned and bred by James Mitchell of Leesville, Louisiana, took home the
74 SPEEDHORSE, December 28, 2012
$45,000 winner’s share of the purse to boost his career earnings to $393,547. He is now a five-time stakes winner, having also notched wins in the 2008 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes-RG2 and Louisiana Juvenile Stakes, the 2009 Evangeline Downs Derby and the 2010 Mr Jess Perry LAD Stakes-RG3.
The Paul Rigdon trainee is out of the stakes- winning mare Glitz Gator, who has four winners
from five starters including graded stakes finalist Mr Overload. Martini Mountain is her lone stakes winner.
Runner-up La Mos Chingono was ridden by John Hamilton for trainer Kenneth Roberts. La Mos Chingono entered the event a winner of consecutive stakes races for owner Oscar Rhone.
Blue Louisiana Jolia (Jess Louisiana Blue-Somekinda Rainey) and Taylors Toastin
Papa (Toast To Dash-Tacha La Jolla) finished in a dead-heat for third. The former, trained by Elroy Potts Jr., was second in the Louisiana Classic-G2 at Delta Downs in July. Ridden by Jarrod Deschamp, Blue Louisiana Jolia races for Potts and Watson Land and Cattle. The latter was ridden by Donald Watson for owner Gerald Libersat and trainer Kevin Broussard.
Completing the order of finish behind
the top three were JLS Mr Bigtime (Bigtime Favorite-Psalmist), Zupers Quick Dash
(Heza Fast Dash-Oh Shez Zuper), MCM Dashmaster (Heza Fast Dash-Shez Zuper), Heza Gonna Dash (Heza Fast Dash-Iwanna Dash), Louisiana Panther (Panther Mountain- Iwanna Dash), Allusional Dash (Heza Fast Dash-Special Allusion TB), BBS First Jet Black (Game Patriot-BBS Magic Quarter) and Come An Get Me (First Comment-Miss La Jolla).
Fair Grounds $100,000 • 440 yards :21.425 • si 105
Meter Me Gone
Panther Mountain
Cash This Runner
MARTINI MOUNTAIN, ’06-g.
Streakin La Jolla
Glitz Gator
Miss Gator Eight
Lynn roberts: Hodges Photography Lynn roberts: Hodges Photography