Page 206 - August_2023

RACING NEWS
Bradford Stakes
MR MICHEL
Rby John Moorehouse
unning in stakes company at Horseshoe
Indianapolis continues to lead Mr Michel to success. The four-year-old gelding reached the winner’s circle in a stakes race at that track for his third consecutive campaign, with his 1 1/4-length victory in the $56,545 Bradford Stakes on July 5.
Edgar Diaz brought Mr Michel out of the inside starting gate. He led by a neck by the first call and never looked back, building his advantage to three quarters going into the stretch and continuing to pull away during the final yards. Claudio Barraza trains Mr Michel, who finished this 400-yard out in :19.949 for a 92 speed index.
Owned by Alberto Valadez, Mr Michel notched his seventh win in 16 lifetime starts, with three victories
in stakes company. He also won last year’s QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby and the 2021 running of the Miss Roxie Little Futurity. Racing exclusively at Horseshoe, Mr Michel has finished in the money in two other stakes and now holds a $271,206 lifetime bankroll with the $32,736 addition from this race.
Mark Michel bred both Mr Michel and his dam, Lovemelikethat, a 2008 mare who also had success on the stakes circuit in Indiana. She won the 2010 version of the Miss Little Roxie – one of three stakes victories as part of an 8-6-4 record in 19 outs, which produced more than $277,000 in earnings.
Hooked On Jordan (Fast Prize Jordan-Hooked On Laveaux), already a stakes winner, placed second by a neck for owner/trainer Ollie Matthews. Jose Ruiz was in the irons. Oscar Mike (Kiss My Hocks-Cosmic Corona) nosed out third place for Felix Barraza, who both owns and trains the gelding. Martin Munoz did the riding.
High Rolling Seize (Seize The Win-Crossing The Brazos), Good Time Stoli (Duponte-A True Stoli), and Majestic Cocktail (Majestic Cartel-Toast To Cocktail) completed the field. One A New Note, One Night Too Long, and Wrs Valentino were scratched.
Horseshoe Indiana Bred Stakes
STONE LAKE
Sby John Moorehouse
tone Lake outdueled Encores Bright Image to
win the $35,000 Horseshoe Indiana Bred Stakes on July 7 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The five-year- old gelding went off as the post-time favorite and prevailed over a field of Indiana-bred competitors.
Stone Lake needed all 350 yards to score his latest stakes success. The gelding broke from the 4-gate and was running a close second both at the first call and going into the stretch. Jockey Luz Martinez urged Stone Lake into the lead, beating Encore Bright Image by a head at the wire.
Stone Lake finished the race in :17.782, posting a 92 speed index. Sheri Miller bred the gelding out of Silly Chix, a 2006 Grade 2 finalist.
Anthony Cunningham owns and trains Stone Lake, who collected his 10th win in 23 lifetime starts. The $19,250 winner’s prize improved his total earnings to $403,069. No stranger to stakes company, Stone Lake now holds five stakes wins, all recorded at Horseshoe including back-to-back outs, with a victory in the Born Runner Classic in June preceding this out. Other stakes wins include last year’s Bob Woodard Memorial Classic, the 2021 versions of the Sterlie Bertram Memorial, and the Gordon Mobley Futurity in 2020. This was the 13th out in stakes company in Stone Lake’s career.
Roger and Kimberly Beam own Encores Bright Image (Encore-Bright Lineage). The gelding is trained by Jessica Vazquez and had Hugo Macias in the irons. HH C J Shake (Escondido Beach-Shakem Jake) took third place for owners Larry Carter, John Myers, and Bell and Rusty Hawkins. Shawna Martin trains the gelding, who had Cesar Esqueda aboard.
JJ Zoomin (Jess Zoomin-Justa Dance), One Coldhearted Diva (One Fabulous Eagle-Whata Chilled Cat), and Governor K (One Famous Versace- Sum Fun For Magic) completed the finishing order. Beach Blast, Carters Law, Jess Go Blue, and Our Game Changer all scratched.
GCFA Firecracker Futurity
LGM FLIRTING HERO
Iby John Moorehouse
n trials for the GCFA Firecracker Futurity, LGM
Flirting Hero’s time placed the gelding near the bottom of the qualifying ladder of finalists. In the $125,700 final, though, the two-year-old gelding was the fastest in the field, tallying his first career stakes victory.
Eleazar Hernandez was in the irons as LGM Flirting Hero made a late drive, working his way up from third entering the stretch to win. The gelding posted a 92 speed index running into a slight 5 mph head wind. Santiago Villaseca trains the gelding, who now holds two wins in five career starts. LGM Flirting Hero’s owner Leslie Castanon banked a $43,995 payday that represents the lion’s share of the gelding’s total bankroll, which now stands at $48,775.
In terms of time, the two 350-yard runs were comparable, LGM Flirting Hero ran his trial in :17.967, which was ninth quickest. When he came back for the futurity, his :17.751 time got him across the line first by a neck.
Filimon Saucedo bred LGM Flirting Hero out of Valiant Mystique, a lightly-raced 2014 mare. LGM Flirting Hero started his campaign at Delta Downs, where he scored a win in trials for the Old South Futurity but did not qualify.
A pair of Jose Sanchez III trainees, Kas Delivers GI (Kas Tempting-Glorys Deliverance) and No La Deja (Hes Relentless-La Deja Blue) finished second and third, respectively. They ran neck-and-neck for the entire race but got caught by LGM Flirting Hero. Francisco Garza owns Kas Delivers GI who had Luis Vivanco up. No La Deja is owned by Estefania Mora and Nila Hernandez and had Eddie Sanchez aboard.
Followed by An America Eagle, Dag Hammer (Hawkeye-Papa Larrys Girl), RGR Nala Hill (Rex Hill-RGR Chicks First), Nytro (Favorite Cartel- Little Jess Perry), Bringthepain (Hawkeye-Hurt Em Big Mama), Dispatch (Bogart-Jess Four To Six), and Tttgolden Cup (Mr Einstein-Cooper Doll Two).
204 SPEEDHORSE August 2023
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
Cypress Girl Photography
Horseshoe Indianapolis • $33,250
350 yards • :17.782 • SI 92
Corona Cartel
Escondido Beach
STONE LAKE, ‘18-g. Silly Chix
Six On The Beach Shazoom
Deceptively
Gillespie County Fair • $125,700
350 yards • :17.751 • SI 92
Dean Miracle
Flirtingwithamiracle
CP The Flirt
LGM FLIRTING HERO, ‘21-g.
Mighty B Valiant
Valiant Mystique
America Strikes Back
Horseshoe Indianapolis • $56,545
400 yards • :19.949 • SI 92
Tempting Dash
Romancing Mary Likenothinyoueversaw
Kiss My Hocks
MR MICHEL, ‘19-g. Lovemelikethat
First Smart Stride