Page 56 - NMHBA Spring 2021

ZIA PARK
Story by Michael Cusortelli • Photos by Coady Photography
New Mexico Filly & Mare Champ.-RG1
First Moonflash
First To Flash
Nagano Moon
Cuz Shez Famous
One Famous Eagle
Cuz Shez Crazy
SDIAMOND AND A HALF
ent to post as the 5-2 second choice in a full Diamond And A Half is out of Cuz Shes field of 10 state-bred distaffers, Diamond Famous, a winning 10-year-old daughter of
And A Half won the December 7, $50,000 New Mexico Filly & Mare Championship (RG1) at Zia Park.
Diamond And A Half covered 400 yards in :19.259 under jockey Tanner Thedford, and her margin of victory was a nose from 2-1 favorite Famous Julia. Jorge Luis Hernandez trained the 4-year-old First Moonflash mare for owner Antonio Gomez.
Diamond And A Half was bred by Mark and Annette McCloy. The mare’s sire,
First Moonflash, was a son of 2002 AQHA Champion 2-year-old colt First To Flash. Racing from 2007-09, First Moonflash earned $969,828 and won 10 graded stakes from 25 starts, and he was voted AQHA Champion aged stallion in ‘09.
First Moonflash has sired the earners of more than $20.5 million from nine crops, including Champions Handsome Jack Flash, Foxy Moonflash, and Flash And Roll. The stallion died on May 29, 2019, after a battle with laminitis.
Champion One Famous Eagle. Her second dam, Cuz Shes Crazy, is a winning daughter of Skirt Chasin Alibi.
Diamond And A Half traces back to her fourth dam, Etta Chick, a stakes-winning daughter of the Deep Sun (TB) stallion Ettabo and runner-up in the 1977 El Primero del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos.
Diamond And A Half was stretching out
in distance off of her third-place finish, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Famous Julia, in the 350-yard, $27,000 New Mexico Cup Distaff Quarter Horse Championship (R) at Zia Park on November 9. Raced in three states, includ- ing Oklahoma and Texas, the mare has won six of 17 races and has banked $141,548, and her 4-year-old season record included a second- place run in the May 30, $85,000 Junos Request Stakes (G1) at Remington Park.
Girl With A Plan ran third and was followed by Call Me Kash, Close To Crazy, Woodys Copy Cat, Osbaldo Lady, Reyna Azul, Jess Featured Girl, and Runner Chick.
Famous Julia races for Bertha S. Irigoyen, who claimed the 5-year-old daughter of the Dash Ta Fame stallion Dash For Famous
for $6,250 at Albuquerque Downs on June 30,2019. The mare has won seven of 26 starts and has earned $98,141.
A sophomore Big Daddy Cartel filly owned by Pedro Zubiate, Girl With A Plan was com- ing off of a half-length victory in the 400-yard $248,000 New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) at Zia Park on November 9. Girl With A Plan has won four of 13 races and has banked $159,142.
54 New Mexico Horse Breeder