Page 71 - February 2021

Co-owners Pat Guthrie of Downtime Enterprises LLC and Billy Smith. Dean Frey is the breeder, co-owner and trainer of Danjer.
horse had us daylighted. It’s just a testament to how fast Danjer is.”
Danjer traveled to Minnesota to win
the Bank of America Canterbury Park Championship Challenge-G3 wire-to-wire by 2 1/4-lengths before heading to New Mexico, At Ruidoso Downs he captured the All American Gold Cup Stakes-G1, a race that had eluded him the year before.
Again getting away from the gate a trifle slowly, Danjer came on to edge Mi Amor Secreto by a head.
“We were playing catch-up the entire race,” said Cody Smith. “But this horse doesn’t seem to know how fast he really is. He turned it on when we needed it, and we got there just in time.”
Danjer bled in the Downs at Albuquerque Fall Championship-G1, yet he still managed to finish second after breaking in fifth.
At the awards ceremony, Billy Smith joked about Danjer’s tendency to break slowly and teased Cody Smith about the jockey always mentioning that.
“I don’t want to hear that again; teach this horse to leave the gate,” Billy Smith said to Frey. Danjer, Frey, and Cody Smith complied
brilliantly. In the Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 at Albuquerque, Danjer rocketed out of the gate on top and destroyed the field with a 2-length winning margin.
“When he gets out like that, they’re not going to beat him,” Billy Smith said.
In his final race of the year, the Refrigerator Invitational Championship-G1 at Lone Star Park, Danjer again didn’t get away from the gate quickly. But it didn’t matter. He thoroughly dominated, winning by 1 1/4 lengths.
After the race, Frey ticked off Danjer’s attributes that have made him such a good horse: “He’s very sound. He’s very correct. He’s very smart. And he’s very fast.”
Frey’s road to breeding Danjer began when he claimed Dashing Fly Lady, the second dam, for $2,500. Frey bred Shez Jess Toxic from Dashing Fly Lady, and before she produced Danjer, Shez Jess Toxic won the 2011 AQHA Juvenile Challenge Championship-G2, 2011 Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge, and 2013 Remington Distaff Challenge, earning $235,296.
Billy Smith suggested that Frey breed Shez Jess Toxic to FDD Dynasty, and Danjer resulted. The new World Champion became a millionaire in 2021, with total earnings of $1,503,885. And more could be on the way in 2022.
Co-owners Pat Guthrie and Billy Smith; Javier and Dusti Tellez; Kelly O’Hare; breeder/co-owner/trainer Dean Frey; and jockey Cody Smith.
SPEEDHORSE February 2022 69
Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse
Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse
Linda Earley, Speedhorse