Page 90 - February 2021

2020 AQHA DAMS OF DISTINCTION
The American Quarter Horse breeder has learned of the powerful influence of the mare in the production of foals. Just look at the modern sale catalog and how we showcase our sale horses through not only the sire but the dam as well. The American Quarter Horse Association honors the power of the mare through their AQHA Dam of Distinction, a title given to a few select mares. To be become an AQHA Dam of Distinction, a mare must meet at least one of the following criteria:
• Dams that produced two or more individual
AQHA racing Champions
REMEMBER ME ROSE
Remember Me Rose earned her AQHA Dam of Distinction title with three Grade one stakes winners. They are Powerful Favorite, winner of the 2019 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1; Runforyourlife, winner of the 2019 Golden State Million Futurity-G1; and Cyber Monday, winner of the 2020 Ruidoso Futurity-G1. Favorite Cartel is the sire of all three of these runners.
Dr. Max and Linda Alumbaugh, through their MLA International, were the breeders of Remember Me Rose. She was purchased by Azoom LP as a yearling and started her race career in Mexico, where she won the 2006 Mexico Juvenile Championship. She started her racing career north of the border with a second in the Rainbow Futurity-G1 and a fifth in the All American Futurity-G1. She then finished her two-year-old season with wins in the AQHA Juvenile Challenge Championship-G2, the Southwest Juvenile Championship and the Sunland Park Winter Futurity-G2. She came back at three to win the Ruidoso Derby-G1, finishing second in both the Texas Classic Derby-G1 and the Championship at Sunland Park-G1. Her career record stands at nine wins in 18 starts earning $820,895.
Remember Me Rose took her Grade One winning status to the broodmare band where her record shows 28 foals with 19 starters that have earned over $2.3 million. She is the dam of five stakes winners. Her first foal
by Larry Thornton
• Dams that produced at least three individual Grade 1 stakes winners
• Dams that produced at least two foals ranked in the top 10 money earners of any particular year, as of December 31 of that year, and two Grade 1 stakes winners
• Dams that produced at least three foals that were in the top 10 money earners of any particular year, as of December 31 of that year
• Produced at least three individual American Quarter Horse stakes winners prior to 1983 and those wins were equivalent to a Grade 1 quality race
Tessta Rossa was the winner of the 2016 Kisses To Yawl Handicap in Mexico. This mare was bred by Azoom LP. Her second stakes winner was Intense Fire, winner of the 2018 First Down Dash Derby. She was bred by her current owner Dr. Steve D. Burns in partnership with James Markum. Dr. Burns later became the sole owner of Remember Me Rose for his Burns Ranch.
The success of Remember Me Rose in 2019 brought a number of accolades to those associated with her foals. Her sons Powerful Favorite and Runforyourlife,
along with Intense Fire and Forgot The Rose, contributed to the $3,241,760 in earnings that led to Dr. Steve Burns being named the 2019 AQHA Champion Breeder. Powerful Favorite and Runforyourlife helped their owner, Rosenthal Ranch, to be the 2019 AQHA Champion Owner. The trainer for these two Rosenthal runners was Chris O’Dell, the 2019 AQHA Champion Trainer. Then we combine the earnings and race records of Powerful Favorite, Runforyourlife, Intense Fire, The Revenant, Remember
The Rose, Allyson Felix, Monster Hand
and Forgot The Rose, all runners out of Remember Me Rose that gave her the title of the 2019 Speedhorse Broodmare of the Year. She followed up a very successful 2019 with her third Grade One stakes winner in Cyber Monday, winner of the 2020 Ruidoso Futurity-G1, and the AQHA Dam of Distinction Award.
The American Quarter Horse Association announced the 2020 AQHA racing Champions on January 14, 2021, at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City the night before the start of the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale and during the ceremony they honored the mares that earned the AQHA Dam of Distinction title in 2020. Remember Me Rose, Docs First Card and Rosas Special were the three mares that received their official recognition joining the ranks of AQHA Dams of Distinction. When we look at the history of these three mares it shows the international influence of the racing American Quarter Horse.
DOCS FIRST CARD
Docs First Card earned her AQHA Dam of Distinction Award with three Grade One winners. They are Docs Apollo, winner of the Golden
State Derby-G1; Secret Card, winner of the Kindergarten Futurity-G1; and Twin Spires, winner of the Kindergarten Futurity-G1. Docs Apollo was sired by Apollo TB, Secret Card was sired by Raise A Secret and Twin Spires was sired by Separatist.
Jesus A. Molina of Hermoso Sonora, Mexico, is the breeder of Docs First Card.
She was sired by First Down Dash and is out of Miss Nevada Bev by Reb’s Policy TB. Miss Nevada Bev is out of Sheza Lulu by Duplicate Copy and Sheza Lulu is out of Auntie Lulu by Leo Bar. Miss Nevada Deb is the dam of one other stakes winner in A Regal Passion, winner of the South Valley/Swett Ranch Futurity. Miss Nevada Bev is a full sister to Rebs Little Lulu, a multiple stakes winner, including the Ann Burnett Invitational Handicap-G1.
Docs First Card was purchased by Dutch Masters III as a yearling. She was then sent to Jaime Gomez for training. She made 15 starts with five wins and earnings of $96,104. She won the 1997 San Juan Capistrano Handicap. She was a graded stakes placed runner with seconds in the Kindergarten Futurity-G2 and the Governors’ Cup Futurity-RG1. Docs First Card finished second in the Kindergarten Futurity-G2 and then produced two winners of this prestigious race. She was purchased by PB Export Ltda of Brazil in 2016. She is currently owned by Guy Rodrigues Peixoto Junior.
The AQHA Dam of Distinction is a title earned by a select group of mares that have met the criteria that puts them in a unique category. The 2020 recipients also showcase how the racing American Quarter Horse has international ties through their connections to Mexico, Brazil and Canada.
88 SPEEDHORSE February 2021