Page 183 - October 2023

WATCH OUT
by John Moorehouse
With AQHA Champion rider Francisco Calderon in the irons, Watch Out scored his second career stakes victory, winning the $75,000 Ruidoso Downs Overnight Stakes by a neck on Sept. 3 at the New Mexico track.
Breaking from the No. 4 gate, Watch Out was running second at the first call, then overtook Delight Us All to lead by 1/2-length going into the stretch. He withstood a challenge from Hesa Party Wagon, reaching the wire first by a neck.
Santos Carrizales Jr. trains Watch Out, who finished his 350-yard trip in :17.458 for a 94 speed index.
Valeriano Racing Stables owns Watch Out, who notched his seventh career win. His other stakes victory came in the 2022 Dillingham Stakes. As a younger competitor, Watch Out successfully qualified for 10 stakes finals. The $45,000 winner’s share of the purse from this result pushed his total earnings to $326,239.
Edward C. Allred bred Watch Out and home- bred his dam, Look Her Over, a 2004 mare with four wins in 27 starts including a pair of stakes. Allred repurchased Watch Out at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale, later selling the gelding to Valeriano Racing Stables.
A pair of three-time stakes winners also hit the board. Hesa Party Wagon (Hes Relentless-Lil Miss Party Doll) placed second this time by a neck for owner/trainer Juan Manuel Baeza. Christian Ramos did the riding. Jet Black Grace (Jet Black Patriot- Thrill And Grace), the post-time favorite, finished third by 1/2-length for Oscar Rios Jr. The Toby Keeton trainee had Juan Pulido in the irons.
The remaining order of finish was Delight Us All (Corona Cartel-Our Genuine Delight), The Big Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Classic Sassy Chic), Lawless Wallace (Tres Seis-Elicity), and Mitey Political (Apollitical Jess-Mitey Moon). Legacy Cartel, Lotta Hot Mess, and Perrys Moon Lips were scratched.
LEADING FLARE
by Elle Summers
In his first stakes attempt, Leading Flare secured the $65,357 Adequan Ruidoso Downs Derby Challenge at Ruidoso Downs on Aug. 19.
Racing for owner Cheri Wardell and trainer Wesley Giles, Leading Flare qualified with a wire-to- wire 1 1/4-length win in his trial on July 29.
Ridden by Alan Hernandez in both races, Leading Flare has won three of five starts, with two seconds. The gelding covered the 400 yards in :19.962, earning an 86 speed index. The winner’s share of $30,064 increased his bankroll to a total of $61,664.
Leading Flare is a homebred for Cheri
Wardell and out of the stakes placed mare Leadmetoyourladder. The chestnut gelding is a half- brother to stakes winner Faster Than Hasta, who won the 2016 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge and Minnesota Stallion Breeders’ Futurity and came in second in the 2017 AQHA Derby Challenge Championship Stakes-G3.
Big Dream Baby (Apollitical Jess-Kates Dynasty) dueled throughout and finished 2nd behind Leading Flare by a head. The filly was piloted by Luis Martinez and trained by Xavier Rodriguez. La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC purchased the sorrel filly at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale for $115,000 from breeder Julianna Hawn Holt.
Third place finisher Innocenti (Duponte-Jess
A Sweetie) also had her first stakes performance in this race. Jaime Leos rode the filly for owner/trainer Jesus Marquez.
Whirlaway Valentine (Whirlaway Red-Lil Miss Party Doll), Sass Cartel (Corona Cartel-Jess Sass Me), Wasting Light (The Marfa Lights-Foo Who), Lethal Demon (A Revenant-Easily Lethal), Jess A Good Candyman (Jess Good Candy-Tres Seis Folszookie), and Sug La Blue (One Sweet Jess-Za Za La Blue) followed. R Ladys Dynasty was scratched.
DAK
by Michael Cusortelli
Making his first start in three months, Blue Star Racing’s Dak won the 870-yard Bill Reed Memorial Stakes for Quarter Horses and
Thoroughbreds at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 2. Dak defeated My One Time Corona by 3 3/4
lengths in :45.383, a clocking accomplished while aided by a reported 7-mph tail wind through the stretch. Gerardo Vera rode the 7-year-old Dominyun gelding for trainer James Gonzales III.
Dak was coming off of a third-place finish,
2 3/4-lengths behind winner Big Dynasty, in
the 870-yard $55,580 Remington Park Distance Championship-G1 on June 3. The gelding was bred by Bullard Farms, and is out of winner Fleet Elis. His second dam Fleeta Dif was a multiple Thoroughbred stakes winner in Texas from 2002-04. Dak traces back to his fifth dam, Fiesta Lady, a daughter of 1973 Thoroughbred Triple Crown winner Secretariat who won the 1984 Del Mar Debutante Stakes-G2 and was a half sister to four stakes winners.
Campaigned in four states, Dak has won nine of 30 races, and the $30,000 winner’s share of the purse from his fifth career stakes score bumped his bankroll to $454,981.
My One Time Corona (Kiss My Hocks-One Corona At A Time) was second for owners Emily and Nathalie Chavez. Alfredo Sigala rode the gelding
for trainer Omar Vargas. Hollywood Henry TB (Roll Hennessy Roll-Ringback) finished third under Christian Ramos.Fred Danley trained the gelding for owner Bennie A. Vanecek.
Blue Bees TB (Slew’s Pot Of Gold-Blue Speed), Wascallywittlewabbit (Heza Motor Scooter-Rabbits N Diamonds), Big Dynasty (FDD Dynasty- Delightfully Tres), American Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Allamericandreamgirl), and Good Bye Charlie TB (Adios Charlie-Magda) completed the order of finish.
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE October 2023 181
Ruidoso Downs Overnight S.
Adequan RUI Derby Challenge
Bill Reed Memorial
Linda Earley, Speedhorse
Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs
Linda Earley, Speedhorse
Ruidoso Downs • $75,000
350 yards • :17.458 • SI 94
Walk Thru Fire
Fly Thru The Fire
WATCH OUT, ‘19-g.
Look Her Over
Babe On The Fly Check Him Out
Oh La Proud
Ruidoso Downs • $50,000
870 yards • :45.383 • SI 93
Dominyun DAK, ‘16-g.
Fleet Elis
Mr Jess Perry Runaway Dee Dee Fishers Dash Fleeta Dif TB
Ruidoso Downs • $65,357
400 yards • :19.962 • SI 86
Ivory James
Special Phoebe
Special Leader
Flare For Ivory
LEADING FLARE, ‘20-g.
Leadmetoyourladder
Pretty Polly Cash