Page 168 - February 2021

secondary career in the performance arena. We breed to make sure that these animals have longevity after racing,” Fran says.
“We believe the horse’s well-being is most important, and because of this we never use any performance-enhancing drugs on our horses. We want the horse’s natural talent and ability to shine through.”
The Cavenaughs’ dedication to their
runners’ health and soundness has paid immense dividends. Their leading money earner, Uncle D, racked up $689,165 in earnings and was named the 2019 AQHA Champion Two Year Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. As much as they enjoyed campaigning Uncle D, however, Fran and Don are especially proud of one of their more unlikely stars, a gelding named Woodys Gold. Fran remembers, “He was a very late
baby, he’s half-Thoroughbred, and he had minor OCD [a developmental disease that impacts
the bone and cartilage around a horse’s joints]. Once we saw Woody, I fell in love with him... so we purchased him for $10,000 – which was an absolute steal.”
Woodys Gold quickly rewarded the Cavenaughs for their confidence in him. As
a two year old, he placed second in both the Mountain Top New Mexico Bred Futurity- RG2 and the Zia Futurity-RG1 before winning the New Mexico State Fair Futurity- RG3. After qualifying for multiple graded stakes races in 2021, he closed out his three- year-old campaign with a courageous win in the New Mexico Classic Derby-RG2. “He’s still solid, so we’ll race him some in 2022,”
Fran says. “He loves to run, so we’re going to let Woody tell us when he’s done running. Woody has a permanent home with us.” Afterwards, Fran confides, “There is a chance that we will take him into performance for ourselves and have someone ride him in the performance arena.”
Whatever Woodys Gold’s future may
hold, Fran says, “He is the most fun we’ve had with a racehorse. I tell this story,” she admits, “because it shows that you don’t have to spend huge amounts of dollars to get a horse that can win and produce.”
Despite entering the breeding business very recently, Cavenaugh Quarter Horses already boasts an impressive stallion roster. Although their top money earner Uncle D will continue to stand at Lazy E Ranch, the Cavenaughs have relocated their other three studs – Good Candy P, Ryder Rite, and A Sweet Jess – to their new property.
All three stallions possess excellent bloodlines. “We went into this operation with a set goal of genetics that we wanted – a set goal of individuals that we were looking for – and that’s why we purchased them,” Fran says.
For example, Good Candy P’s pedigree is filled with accomplished runners. His dam Send Me This Wagon is a multiple stakes winner who racked up ten wins and $179,310. On a similar note, the stallion’s second dam Jess Send Candy produced undefeated 2-time Champion Jess Good Candy, earner ofover $2,000,000.
Good Candy P, a wire-to-wire winner and
Cavenaugh Quarter Horse trainer Clint Crawford.
166 SPEEDHORSE February 2022
Woodys Gold winning the
New Mexico State Fair Futurity-RG3.
Coady Photography
Myriam Maynard, Speedhorse
Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse