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Cox Ranch Dist. Chal. Championship (G1)
Dance The Dust Off, a registered New Mexico-bred son of the Count Corona stallion Coronas Blackdiamond, scored an upset victory in the October 22, $107,878 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Trained by Clay Teeter for owner Jewel Ramirez, Dance The Dust Off covered 870 yards in :46.803, and his winning margin was a half of a length from Nicos First Cartel. Nakia Teeter rode the 6-year-old brown gelding.
Dance The Dust Off was bred by Sarah Donaldson-Rioux, and he sold for $3,500
at the 2017 Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. The gelding was coming off a fourth-place finish, 7 1/2 lengths behind winner Shockinglyfamous, in the October 1, $35,000 AQHA Will Rogers Distance Challenge Stakes in Oklahoma, but he qualified to this race with a 1 3/4-length win in the 870-yard, $34,000 AQHA Wyoming Distance Challenge Stakes at Wyoming Downs in June.
“He put in a big race,” said Clay Teeter. “He hadn’t raced in about three months before his last start, and we were hoping it would be a big prep for this race, and it was.”
Dance The Dust Off is out of Magic Yard (TB), a winning Kentucky-bred daughter
of the graded stakes winning Polish Navy stallion Ghazi.
“When I galloped him (last) Saturday, he was pulling hard and I could tell he was ready for today,” said Nakia Teeter. “He usually breaks really well, and if he can get up after four or five jumps, he can usually finish it out.”
Raced in six states from Idaho to Indiana, Dance The Dust Off has won nine of 22 starts -- including eight of 18 at the 870-yard trip -- and the $52,860 winner’s share of the purse from his third career stakes score bumped his earnings to $142,497, of which $139,069 has been earned from his 870 starts.
“He’s come such a long way,” said Nakia Teeter. “He was a $3,500 horse from the Heritage Place Yearling Sale, and I’ve been with him every step of the way.
“In these distance races, it’s a lot about
what Quarter Horse breaks best and who
can finish,” she added. “He finished like a Thoroughbred, and he has one of the best kicks of a Quarter Horse I’ve ever seen.”
Sent to post at odds of 18-1, Dance The Dust Off paid a $39.20 win mutuel. Runner-up Nicos First Cartel, the 9-2 second choice, completed a $2 exacta dividend of $180.20.
Shockinglyfamous finished third, three- quarters of a length behind Dance The Dust Off, and was followed by 3-5 favorite and reigning AQHA champion distance horse Wascallywittlewabbit, Hi High Hopes, Cold Brewster, and Roc Starr.
Nicos First Cartel is a Arizona-bred
son of the Mr Jess Perry stallion First Prize Perry campaigned by Erica Carreon, and he was coming off of a 2 1/4-length win in the September 17, $56,000 AQHA Albuquerque Distance Challenge at Albuquerque Downs. The brown gelding has won six of 33 outs, and the $22,654 second-place share of the Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship purse increased his bankroll to $167,724.
A 6-year-old son of 2008 AQHA
champion sophomore colt One Famous Eagle, Shockinglyfamous races for Stone Chase Stables LLC and Kasey Willis. The stallion has won nine of 33 starts, including five stakes, and the $11,327 third-place share of the purse boosted his earnings to $288,218.
Photos by Coady Photography
Coronas Blackdiamond
Count Corona
Sheza Fast Jewel
Magic Yard
Ghazi
Cow’s Yard
DANCE THE DUST OFF
Dance The Dust Off’s winning connections include owner Jewel Ramirez, trainer Clay Tetter and jockey Nakia Teeter.
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