Page 104 - NMHBA_Winter2022

ZIA PARK
Photos by Coady Photography
New Mexico Classic Cup 870 Champ. (R)
First Moonflash
First To Flash
Nagano Moon
Mi Camila
Southern Halo
Lady Of Tralee
FREEDOM FLASH
Freedom Flash earned his first stakes win in three years, as the homebred 6-year-old First Moonflash gelding dueled five wide on the turn and drew off in the stretch to win the October 30, $125,000 New Mexico Classic Cup 870 Championship (R) at Zia Park.
Trained by Todd Fincher for owners Pierre J. Amestoy Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy and Roger K. Beasley, Freedom Flash defeated Roll Big River by 1 1/2 lengths while covering 870 yards in :44.818. Alfredo Sigala rode the bay gelding, who posted a 106 speed index and banked the $73,800 winner’s share of the purse.
Freedom Flash was coming off of a third place run, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Roll Big River, in an 870-yard, $44,500 allowance race for New Mexico-breds on October 9. The gelding’s sire, First Moonflash, was a multiple graded stakes winning son of 2002 AQHA champion 2-year-old colt First To Flash. Competing on the track from 2007-09, First Moonflash won 14 of 25 races, including ten stakes, and he banked $969,828. He was the sport’s champion aged stallion in 2009.
A half-brother to graded stakes winners Dash Ta Moon and Moonifisant and stakes winners Full Moon Dasher and Mesa Moonlight, First Moonflash has sired the earners of more than $24.9 million from 10, including champions Handsome Jack Flash, Flash And Roll, Foxy Moonflash and 2014 All American Derby (G1) winner Too Flash
For You. The stallion died after a battle with laminitis on May 29, 2019.
Freedom Flash is out of Mi Camila (TB),
a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of the Halo stallion Southern Halo. A 1998 foal, Mi Camila has produced four winners from four Thoroughbred starters, including multiple stakes winner Bonndaddy’s and stakes winner Mi Domscat. Freedom Flash’s fourth dam, the winning Le Fabuleux mare L’Extravagante, ran third in the 1976 Woodbine Oaks.
Freedom Flash traces back to his fifth dam, Fanfreluche, a multiple stakes winning Northern Dancer mare and the sport’s champion 3-year-old filly in 1970.
Freedom Flash has won six of 27 outs, including three of six at the 870-yard trip, and the $73,800 winner’s share of the purse from his second career stakes victory pushed his earnings to $342,301. The gelding’s resume includes a neck victory in the 2019 New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) at Zia Park.
Freedom Flash was sent to post as the
3-1 third choice in the full field of eight and returned an $8 win mutuel. Runner-up Roll Big River, the 2-1 second choice, rounded out a $23.80 ($2) exacta payoff.
Rosies Bolt finished third, 5 1/4 lengths behind Freedom Flash, and was followed by Why Buy The Cow, Cartels Joker, 9-5 favorite Moonflash Cat, Mr Big and Noreason Fordiamonds.
Roll Big River is a brown son of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Rock Solid Jess campaigned by Twin Spires Farm. A $6,200 yearling purchase at the 2019 New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale
at Ruidoso Downs, the 4-year-old gelding
has won four of 20 races, and the $24,600 runner-up share of the New Mexico Cup 870 Championship purse increased his bankroll to $119,451. Roll Big River was a finalist in last year’s New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) at Zia Park and Zia Derby (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs.
Rosies Bolt is a 4-year-old son of the Strawfly Special stallion Genuine Strawfly racing for Ken Eklund. The gray gelding has won three of 12 outs, including two of four at the 870 distance, and the $12,300 third- place share of the purse boosted his earnings to $88,977.
Freedom Flash’s winning connections include owners Pierre Amestoy Jr., Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley, trainer Todd Fincher and jockey Alfredo Sigala.
102 New Mexico Horse Breeder