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Cheval (Cheval Volant-Showtime Sis, Windy Ryon) ran third in the Manor Downs Laddie Futurity G3, fourth in the Manor Downs Derby G2, and second in the Eastex Handicap G2, and the G3 Midwest City Stakes.
Meanwhile, Russell Harris had moved from California to Bandera, Texas. “He had a little filly named Make A Run that just made my mouth water,” John says. “We got her broke and she ran up in Weatherford some.” The 1994 filly by Calyx and out of the Easy Jet daughter Sheza Achiever earned graded stakes winning status with a 15-6-3-2 record and $153,236 in earnings in two years.
“I was moving around, trying to see where I could fit and where I could get the horses,” John says. Once he started doing well, Blane started sending a few horses, including Fearless Freda (Dash For Cash-Such An Easy Effort, Special Effort). The 1993 filly won
the QHBC Championship Classic G1, the Retama Park Derby G2 and the Texas Classic Derby G1 in addition to running second
in the Bardella Handicap and the Vessels Maturity G1 and third in the California Challenge Championship G2, the Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap G1 and the Las Damas Handicap G2.
Around that time, John met Bill Dale of the Dutch Masters III partnership at the Heritage Sale, and in 1996 took on Windys Sensation (Sir Austin Duncan-Ima Happy New Year, Cheval Volant) and then The Casanova, whose All American Derby win helped seal John’s place in Leading Trainer history.
BUILDING A LEGACY
Through the years, John has weathered the storms of his own and others’ doubt, two divorces, addiction, and maintaining a profitable stable through legal and economic challenges.
“I’ve been up and down,” he says. “Having Mike Levi call me and tell me he wanted to sell all the racehorses sooner rather than later about put me out of business. Surviving the New Mexico Racing Commission over the five years
it took to adjudicate the case cost me 30 head the first month alone. There were 21 stalls on that side of the barn, and I couldn’t fill them. That was a tough thing to survive, but I’ve creeped my way back up again.”
Longtime clients like Bill Dale and Carol Addison have remained loyal and maintain a fierce faith in John’s ability and his character. “He’s just so darn likable,” Bill says. “He lives to have fun and he has fun at just about everything he does. He’s the kind of guy people enjoy being around and I think most other owners and trainers would agree with me.
“One of the nicest compliments I can pay John is that his boys, Zach and Wyatt, are two of the finest young men you could ever hope to
John with his sons Wyatt and Zach and their dog Stewie.
meet. Both work at Ruidoso every summer and into the school year. They have the right morals and the right attitude about life and my wife, and I both are just so impressed with those boys and how John and their mother have raised them.”
John has also influenced his step- daughter Michelle Chase, a recent honors graduate and the daughter of Barbara, his partner of 13 years. “Michelle is a great girl,” John says.
“Now,” says Bill with a grin, “if John wins the Ruidoso Futurity [with the Dutch Masters III entry Jess Savin Candy], I’ll even say he’s a really, pretty good trainer!”
John did win the $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity-G1 with Jess Savin Candy on June 13.
John in the Ruidoso Futurity-G1 winner’s circle with Jess Savin Candy’s owner Dutch Masters III and jockey Francisco Calderon.
54 SPEEDHORSE July 2021