Page 47 - January 6 2012

lou Wooten Handicap-RG1
littlE Bit SoutHERn
by Tracy Gantz
Edilberto Estrada has only owned horses for about four years, yet he has already found two that have moved up to become stakes
winners. Little Bit Southern gave Estrada his most important victory yet by capturing the Dec. 18 Lou Wooten Handicap-RG1 at Sunland Park.
“It was incredible—the biggest purse we’ve ever won,” said Estrada.
Little Bit Southern may have been step- ping up in class in her first start for trainer Victor Rodriguez, but she raced like a sea- soned stakes performer in the Lou Wooten. Jockey Oscar Rincon had her ready to go at the break from the outside post position. They got away well, unlike favored Jenuine Joy, who broke sideways from post five and lost all chance.
Without wavering once, Little Bit Southern focused on her task and raced straight for the wire. By By Corona on the rail took the early lead, but Little Bit Southern caught and passed her, then held off closers Snow Regard and Blushing Cartel to win by 1 1/4 lengths in :19.163.
“Little Bit Southern always seems to pull through and show a lot of heart,” said Estrada. “She always ends up pretty close to first.”
Estrada claimed Little Bit Southern in December of 2010 for $6,250 at Sunland.
“Her previous owner dropped her down,” he said. “It was a great opportunity, so we claimed her.”
That $6,250 investment has paid off. In 12 starts for Estrada before the Lou Wooten, Little Bit Southern won four times, finished second in the Four Corners Senora Stakes at SunRay Park, and ran third in the Lineage Championship-RG3 at Albuquerque. The owner
of an automotive business in
Albuquerque, Estrada had a
very good year with his horses
in 2011. He also owns Ocean
Fun, who captured the Pfizer
Starter Allowance Challenge
Championship at Los Alamitos.
Estrada said that he hopes to continue racing Little Bit Southern at age five in 2012.
“We’ll probably breed her later on, though we haven’t decided yet,” he said.
Richard and Patricia
Shearer bred Little Bit
Southern in New Mexico and raced her through the early part of her career. For them, she finished second in the 2009 New Mexican Spring Fling at two and third in the 2010 SunRay Park Firecracker Stakes at three. Little
Bit Southern’s dam, Averys Little Bit, has pro- duced three winners from five starters.
Snow Regard (Chicks Regard-Sha Hooy Hooy) took second by a half-length over Blushing Cartel. Jaime Leos rode her for owner KH Logax Inc. and trainer Juan Gonzalez. The filly was coming off an upset victory in the Nov. 26 New Mexico Fillies and Mares
Championship-RG1 at Zia Park. She also won the 2011 Sunburst Stakes at Sunland.
Blushing Cartel (Blushing Bug-Bitter Girl), a $12,500 claim at Sunland in early 2011, races for Ramon Gonzalez
Jr. and is trained by Andres Gonzalez. Bonifacio Perez rode the mare in the Lou Wooten.
Rounding out the field
were By By Corona (Southern Corona-By By BG), Sixy Chamisa (Sixes Royal-Chicks Chamisa), Rime Has A Chick (Major Rime-Chicks Chamisa),
Famous Caillie (Dash Ta Fame-Capercaillie), BJ Bring It On (Genuine Strawfly-No Billi Jo), Done Gone Blonde (Jacksboro-Dun Gone Mama), and Jenuine Joy (Genuine Strawfly-Super Perla Negra). Furyofthetyger was scratched.
Sunland Park $110,000 • 400 yards :19.163 • si 91
Corona Cartel
Southern Corona
Southern Policy
LITTLE BIT SOUTHERN, f.
Streakin La Jolla
Averys Little Bit
Pretty Little Deck
Little Bit Southern, under Oscar Rincon, pushed with a big kick for a clear 1 1/4-length margin of victory.
SPEEDHORSE, January 6, 2012 45
racing news
tommie Morelos/Coady Photography