Page 208 - August_2023

RACING NEWS
GCFA Dutchman Stakes
CALIENTE OPERATOR
Cby John Moorehouse
aliente Operator made a flawless run en route
to his first-ever stakes win, taking the $22,000 GCFA Dutchman Stakes on July 15 at Gillespie County Fair.
It was a command performance for Caliente Operator, a Santiago Riojas Jr. trainee who had Eddie Sanchez in the irons. The gelding broke on top from the inside gate and never looked back. He led by 3/4-length at the first call, built his advantage to 1 3/4-lengths going into the stretch, then kept separating himself to sport a 2-length cushion by the time he reached the finish line. Caliente Operator finished the 350-yard trip in :17.316 for a scorching 105 speed index.
A six-year-old gelding owned by Jose Antonio
De La Rosa, Caliente Operator reached the winner’s circle for the fourth time in 17 total starts. The gelding already was stakes-placed, finishing second in last year’s running of the Esplanade Stakes at Delta Downs.
Jose Antonio De La Rosa owns Caliente Operator and collected a $13,200 prize from this race, increasing the gelding’s cumulative earnings to $86,737. Ocie Lee Charles Jr. bred the gelding out of unraced 2001 mare A Dashing Operator.
VG Imtheboss (BF Farm Boss-Glitteratzi) made a steady run for second place. The sophomore colt is owned by Diamond Double A Farm Inc., trained by Alvin Francis Jr., and had Luis Vivanco aboard.
Omg Its Jess (Good Reason SA-Jess A Valiant Chick) hit the board in third for Texas Redd Equine Holdings LLC. The Frank Mendez trainee had Noe Villatoro in the irons.
The remaining order of finish was Dynotron (FDD Dynasty-Tinalicious), Slaney Sider (Favorite Cartel- Shanachee), Kickin Moon (El Rajito De Luna-Kickin Destiny), Tempting Royalty (Tempting Dash-Tres Of Royalty), Shakeemupred (Red Oak Special-The Marquis Queen), and Steel Blue (Seperate Interest-Firebaugh Filly). Dm Frankie Blue Eyes was scratched.
Rocky Mountain Futurity
JUST RUN BY
Aby Michael Cusortelli
$17,000 yearling purchase at last year’s Los
Alamitos Equine Sale, fourth-fastest qualifier Just Run By broke his maiden with a 3/4-length victory in the $83,940 Rocky Mountain Futurity at Arapahoe Park on July 9.
Just Run By went 330 yards in :17.115 while aided by a reported 9-mph tail wind. Cordarelton Benn rode the gray son of Seperate Interest for owner Celenes’s Racing LLC, and trainer Chris Gandarilla.
The $33,576 winner’s share of the purse from his first win in two starts pushed Just Run By’s earnings to $33,866.
Just Run By was bred in California by Dr. Steve Burns, a three-time AQHA Champion Breeder. The gelding is out of Just Walk By, a homebred stakes- winning mare, who ran second in Champion KVN Corona’s 2017 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity-G2 at Los Alamitos.
La Despedida Racing’s Howlin At The Moon (Moonin The Eagle-Really A Corona), the sixth- fastest qualifier from four trials run on June 26, finished second while pocketing the $16,788 runner-up share of the purse. A $13,000 buy at last year’s Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City, the filly was ridden by Adrian Morales for trainer Edy Arturo Ontiveros. Biancas Flare (Flare For Ivory- Shinning Bianca) ran third, a head behind runner-up Howlin At The Moon, for owner Hugo Barron-Sierra. Pedro V. Gonzalez rode the homebred filly for trainer Jose Manuel Barron. Followed by Shez Our Diva (Hez Our Secret-SC Sass And Swag), A Beautiful Flare (Flare For Ivory-A Beautiful Flame), Sticky Lou Who (Big Lew-Sidney Lou Who), Wine Time (Favorite Cartel-Regard The Rose), Six Good Kicks (Jess Good Candy-Kickin Seis), Athena Maximus (Furrtreeous- Firstlady To Themoon) was disqualified from 8th to 9th, and Liebrita (Indomable Cartel-Shes A Rocket Hero) was DQ’d from 6th to last.
Rocky Mountain Derby
FEARLESS FORTITUDE
Fby Michael Cusortelli
earless Fortitude, the fifth-fastest qualifier,
won the 350-yard Rocky Mountain Derby at Arapahoe Park on July 9. Prepped by Jose Barron
for owner Barron Racing LLC, Fearless Fortitude defeated fastest qualifier One Dun Hero by a head
in :18.002. Martin Lazalde rode the brown filly. Fearless Fortitude banked the $21,676 winner’s share of the $54,190 purse. The filly was bred in Colorado by Vaughn and Jill Cook, and she was purchased by Hugo Barron Sierra for $14,000 at the 2021 Heritage Place Yearling Sale.
Fearless Fortitude is out of Ima Fearless Fire, an unraced 7-year-old daughter of Champion Tres Seis. The filly traces back to her fourth dam, Fearless Freda, a multiple graded stakes winning daughter of two-time World Champion Dash For Cash.
Campaigned in two states, Fearless Fortitude has won three of her 10 races and has earned $93,173, and her three wins in eight outs at Arapahoe Park including last year’s $97,845 Cherry Creek Futurity. The filly also ran second in the 330-yard $75,400 Rocky Mountain Futurity.
Rebecca Shattinger’s One Dun Hero (One Valiant Hero-PYC Pick Your Pocket) earned the $10,838 runner-up share of the purse to bring her bankroll to $49,285 from 13 outs. Agustin Silva rode the filly for trainer Shawna Manriquez. Beduino Kicker (Dash Kicker-Separate Signature) ran third for his owner Alberto Martinez. Jhaciel Soto rode the gelding for trainer Hipolito Michel-Valverde. Followed by Country Rocket Foose (Foose-Wess Country Chick), Elegant Jess (One Sweet Jess-Might She Go), Elunicodecandy (Send A Candy Guy-Firstlady To Themoon), Sage Runner (One Valiant Hero-Sorchae), Wiskey River (This Is An Eagle-Venetian Paradise), Ram Dash (Gronkowski-One Dashing Fantasy), and Coronas
For Ivory (Flare For Ivory-Cubeta de Coronas). Caddo Lights & PYC Fancy Cartel were scratched.
206 SPEEDHORSE August 2023
Cypress Girl Photography
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
Gillespie County Fair • $22,000
350 yards • :17.316 • SI 105
First Down Dash
Corona Caliente
Corona Chick
CALIENTE OPERATOR, ‘17-g.
Dashing Val
A Dashing Operator
High Seas Operator
Arapahoe Park • $83,940
330 yards • :17.115 • SI 94
Separatist
Seperate Interest
JUST RUN BY, ‘21-g. Just Walk By
A Delightful Legacy Walk Thru Fire
Babe On The Fly
Arapahoe Park • $54,190
350 yards • :18.002 • SI 88
Ivory James
Special Phoebe
FEARLESS FORTITUDE, ‘20-f.
Tres Seis
Ima Fearless Fire
Flare For Ivory
Fearless Fire