Page 84 - 13 April 2012

West Texas Derby-G3
TF FEATURED EFFORT
by Tracy Gantz
Gelding a colt can often make him focus better on racing, but letting him mature can sometimes work even better. Though many people advised Jaime Dominguez and brothers Alex and Roberto Sanchez to geld
TF Featured Effort, they decided to give him time to grow up. He responded by winning the March 31 West Texas Derby-G3.
“Last year he was racing against very good horses, but he was playing around and not concentrating,” said Dominguez.
Dominguez, who lives in Peyton, Colorado, owns 50% of TF Featured Effort with the Sanchez brothers’ S/M Cattle Export Company of Benton, Texas, and Roberto Sanchez trains the colt. Last year at 2 in nine starts, TF Featured Effort won only one
race, his trial for the Sunland Park Winter Futurity-G2, and he finished second in the West Texas Juvenile Invitational and fourth in the All American Juvenile Invitational.
The partners freshened him for his 3-year- old season, unveiling him in the West Texas Derby trials. Under Esgar Ramirez, who also rode him in the final, TF Featured Effort won
his trial as the fastest qualifier, motoring the 400 yards in :19.549.
“He doesn’t always break real fast,” said Dominguez, “but when he drew the 10 hole in the final, we had a lot of faith that he could get clear. That’s exactly what happened. It was very exciting.”
Off a tad slowly, TF Featured Effort quickly caught up with the field. He
powered down to the finish line
to win by a length in :18.903.
Not only did his newfound maturity enable him to focus on the job, his outside post position kept him clear of some bump- ing in the middle of the pack.
Favored FJ Ricky Bobby took the worst of it. After the initial bumping at the break shuffled him back, the hole closed and he could never
get through, ultimately finish- ing ninth.
The victory raised TF
Featured Effort’s bankroll to $122,318. It
also earned him a berth in the $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park-G1 in December.
Dominguez and the Sanchezes bought TF Featured Effort for $18,000 out of the 2010 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. They have had good success with offspring of Feature Mr Jess.
Rockin, also by Feature Mr Jess, won the 2010 Mile High Futurity-G2 for the partners,
which prompted the pur- chase of TF Featured Effort and Feature Mr Bojangles out of the sale. The latter was named Champion 2-Year-Old Colt of 2011 after winning the Rainbow Futurity-G1, Four Corners Futurity, and Hobbs America Futurity-G2.
“We gave Feature Mr Bojangles a break, and he’s now back in training,” Dominguez said of the colt who they now own in partnership with Jim and
Marilyn Helzer and R.D. Hubbard.
Sunland Park $165,935 • 400 yards :18.903 • si 98
Mr Jess Perry
Feature Mr Jess
Brenda Feature
TF FEATURED EFFORT, ’09-c.
Special Effort
Meadow Creeks Effort
Meadow Creek Dancer
TF Featured Effort’s winning connections, including owners SM Cattle Export Co. and Jaime Dominguez, and trainer Roberto Sanchez.
82 SPEEDHORSE, April 13, 2012
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography