Page 184 - March_2023

NEWS BRIEFS
Victor Diaz Passes Away
Longtime New Mexico horseman Victor Diaz, 90, passed away on Feb. 17. Diaz was born in 1932. He was the owner of 79 Quarter Horse winners with earnings of more than $2.3 million. His top performers include
Champion Distance Horse Coronas Boy, and Championship at Sunland Park-G1 winner TF Im That Guy. In partnership with Jose Diaz, Victor won an additional 51 races with nearly $1 million in earnings, including AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship-G1 winner Royaltime Classic. Victor is survived by his wife Maria del Carmen Fernandez de Diaz, three daughters and one son, an many other family members and friends.
Captain Courage Dies
6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, announced that Captain Courage (Mr Jess Perry-Corona Chick, Chicks Beduino) was euthanized on Jan. 31 due to severe osteoarthritis in his stifles. The 2005 stallion won two races and earned $213,251 with a third place finish in the All American Futurity-G1. He was also
a finalist in the All American Derby-G1, Dash For Cash Derby-G1 and Texas Classic Futurity-G1. Captain Courage was bred by Julianna Hawn Holt and raced for Burnett Ranches LLC, Chad Hart and Bobby Mosley. He was trained by Heath Taylor. Captain Courage entered stud in 2009 at 6666 Ranch and from 12 crops of race age, he is the
sire of over $6.2 million with 30 blacktype runners and $20,006 average earnings per starter. His top money earner is Wicked Courage ($1,132,848) with wins in the Rainbow Derby-G1, Ruidoso Derby-G1, Bob Moore Memorial-G2, Black Gold Futurity Championship-RG3, and Black Gold 350 Futurity. Captain Courage was by 2-Time Champion Mr Jess Perry, sire of over $60.5 million, and out of AQHA Broodmare of the Year, AQHA Dam of Distinction and 3-Time Champion Corona Chick.
Purty Darn Quick
Halle Cradit with Purty Darn Quick, Finalist in the 2022 AQHA Challenge Championship-G1.
182 SPEEDHORSE March 2023
SPEEDHORSE PHOTO ARCHIVE ANSWER
The photo on page 181 shows 2001 Champion Aged Stallion Hawkinson
(First Down Dash-Oh La Proud, Shirley’s Champion TB), the first winner of the
Los Alamitos Winter Championship-G1
– now called the Brad McKinzie Winter Championship-G1. The 1997 stallion qualified to this race with a wire-to-wire run. In the finals, Hawkinson drifted out from the 2-gate but did not interfere with another horse and won the 400-yard $258,000 inaugural event by a nose. Hawkinson also won the 2021 Go Man Go Handicap-G1, was second in the Champion of Champions-G1 and QHBC Championship Classic-G2, and third in The Championship at Sunland Park-G1, Spencer L. Childers California Breeders’ Championship and El Primero Del Ano Derby-G2. He was also
a multiple Graded stakes finalist. In total, Hawkinson won nine races and earned $448,229. He was the #9 leader by earnings in 2001, and a top earner in 2000.
Hawkinson sired the earners of over $11.9 million with 36 stakes winners,
396 winners and fifteen $100,000 plus stakes winners. Among his top money earners are 2-Time Champion Strawkins with $570,267 banked and a 7-time stakes winner with a New Track Record in the 440-yard Rainbow Derby-G1 at Ruidoso Downs and in the 300-yard Pot O’ Gold Futurity-G3 at SunDowns. His top earner is BF Farm Boss with $932,655 in earnings and wins in the Ruidoso Derby-G1 and PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity-G1.
Hawkinson was bred by Edward C. Allred and owned by EG High Desert Farms. The winner of the 2023 Brad McKinzie Winter Championship on Feb. 19 was Apollitical Pence under jockey Armando Cervantes for breeders Dunn Ranch/Womack Cavender Farms, owner Dunn Ranch, and trainer Monty Arrossa. After leading most of the way, Apollitical Pence also won this $144,950 event by a nose.
Kerry Flinn Speedhorse Archives
Don Shugart
Does your horse have a sidekick? Email us your pictures and a short description, please include names.
We will publish the photo in our next issue of Speedhorse Magazine.
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