Page 27 - 22 February 2013

CAPTAIN BUCKO ApHC

Breeder: H & V Racing, LLC
Owner: Racin RN’s
2012 Record: 6-2(1)-1(1)-0, $34,862, 1st Paul
Harber Mem. H., 2nd Mister Lewie Mem.
by Tracy Gantz
Sisters Anitz Ruiz and Jessica McCurry loved Captain Bucko, a one-eyed Appaloosa racehorse who brought their whole family to their feet screaming as he motored to the finish line. Many times the colt reached the wire first, ahead of not only the best Appaloosas but some very good Paints as well.
“It was always exciting,” said McCurry, “because Captain Bucko was usually going to win.”
Ruiz recalled one stakes when the threat of tor- nados kept them away from Remington Park. They watched the race on a computer at Ruiz’s home in Wapanucka, Oklahoma. “My sister and I were hol- lering so loudly at Bucko to run that my 3-year- old daughter, Adriana, got a little scared,” she said.
Luis Villafranco trained Captain Bucko with an assist from Anita’s husband Jesus (Pancho) Ruiz, who works for the trainer. Pancho bought the colt for his wife and sister-in-law from Gary Vaughn, co-breeder with John Hudson in the name of H and V Racing LLC. The sisters, both nurses, ran Captain Bucko in the name of Racin RNs.
Captain Bucko began his 3-year-old season at Remington, where he traded victories with Barney Ofield, a Paint with multiple champion- ships. In the Paul Harber Memorial, Captain Bucko battled another Paint champion, PF Chief Runnin Bear, and then held off Barney Ofield by a nose, with PF Chief Runnin Bear third. Barney Ofield won the next one, the Mister Lewie Memorial, but Captain Bucko grabbed second, again defeating PF Chief Runnin Bear and going over $100,000 in lifetime earnings.
An allowance victory in May turned out to be Captain Bucko’s final victory. He became
ill with a stomach abscess, and Pancho took Captain Bucko to a clinic for diagnosis and treatment. “They had him on antibiotics,” said McCurry, “and they were scheduled to take him back for a checkup on a Thursday. But on Monday he got sick. He died just as my brother- in-law got him to the clinic.” The Ruizes and McCurry had hoped to race Captain Bucko another year and eventually stand him at stud.
“We’d at least have liked to have had him in a pasture, where he could just be a horse, even if he didn’t become a stud,” McCurry said.
Captain Bucko left them with some great memories and year-end awards that included the 2012 Appaloosa Horse of the Year.
si 99, 2012, $116,061
Corona Cartel
Cartel Success QH
Dashing Mariah
Holland Ease
Corona Chick
First Down Dash
Kellys Coffer
First Down Dash
Easy Henryetta
Chicks Beduino
Sizzling Lil
Dash For Cash
First Prize Rose
Allstar
The Wind Mariah TB
Moon Lark
Elm Lady TB
Easy Six
Whirling Wind TB
Top Moon
Go Go Repetition
Easy We Go
Labor Day Moon QH
Dash For Cash First Prize Rose Easy Jet
Babys Henryetta Beduino TB
A Classy Chick Sizzle Te Lilsalady TB Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Gallant Jet Rose Bug
Jet Deck Connie Again Tumble Wind Hurricane Suzy
Top Moon Pan O Lan Larum
Elm Park Lady Easy Jet Peggy Toro Windy City II Blessusgals Moon Deck Rica Bar
Go Man Go Bad Repetition Easy Jet QH We Go Charge Top Moon Inman’s Blaze
Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Gallant Jet Rose Bug
Jet Deck
Lena’s Bar TB Lanovay
Baby Steel TB Romany Royal Jo-Ann-Cat Chick’s Deck Mayshego TB Azure Te TB Jet’s Fair Lady Reb’s Policy Here’s To Lil Rocket Bar TB Go Galla Go
To Market
Hide And Seek Jet Deck
Leo Jewel
Lady Bug’s Moon Casco Rose Moon Deck
Miss Night Bar Eight Again TB Hijo Connie Restless Wind Easy Stages
The Pie King Miss Delilah
Moon Deck Rica Bar Lanolark TB Hank’s Panita Indian Hill Sweet Mural Nemah
My Gallant Lady Jet Deck
Lena’s Bar TB
Hijo The Bull TB Prescott Peggy Joe Wyndham Staunton
Bless Me
Imperial Ronie
Top Deck TB Moonlight Night Barred
Caprica
Top Deck
Lightfoot Sis Smokey Reed Paisana Northington Jet Deck
Lena’s Bar TB Diamond Charge QH Wego Melody
Moon Deck
Rica Bar
Sumrall’s Bay Badger Pretty Red Bear
CAPTAIN BUCKO, ‘09, colt Lord Lark
Joyball
Whirling Fastball QH
Whirling Six
Tip Jones Jr QH
Go Easy Labor
Easy Bobbin’ Jones
Captain Bucko wins the 2011 Grade 1 Cricket Bars Futurity by 1 3/4-lengths at Will Rogers Downs.
SPEEDHORSE, February 22, 2013 25
Kellie Johnston: Coady Photography