Page 53 - September 2022

SPEEDLINES
First Place Queen (:21.31), Andthebeatgoeson (:21.32), The Down Side (:21.33) and Eye Opening Episode (:21.41).
All the horses that qualified were very fast, but there were things that put all the horses on a more even footing. This time, for the All American final it was
a muddy, wet track that was listed as sloppy. So, when the gates opened, AB What A Runner was off first with the lead that she maintained until it looked like Eye Opening Episode and Meteoric would challenge the gutty filly. She prevailed, winning over Eye Opening Episode by a nose with Meteoric third by another nose. Eye Opening Episode was undefeated in his five previous starts and Meteoric was undefeated in his
six previous starts. This was the second consecutive All American win that the top three finishers were noses apart at the finish. AB What A Runner was the second undefeated All American winner after Special Effort. With jockey Jay Conklin in the saddle, her time for the 440 yards was :21.30 which at that time was the third fastest clocking of the race. She earned $1,025,000 for the win.
The plan for AB What A Runner was to compete in the All American and after that race move to California for the Los Alamitos Million Futurity-G1. She won her trial but did not qualify for the finals. This race was won by First Place Queen and Meteoric was second. Both horses were her competition for the All American Futurity. She finished the year undefeated with four wins in four starts earning $1,030,620. She was named the 2002 Champion Two Year Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.
AB What A Runner raced two more years. As a three year old, she won the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap-G1 and the Los Alamito Derby-G1. She also set a Track and World Record for 350 yards at Ruidoso Downs in an allowance race in a time of :17.057. She was named
Royal Quick Dash, Sire of AB What A Runner
Be So Merry, dam of AB What A Runner, winning the 1990 AQRA Lassie Stakes.
the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Her four-year-old record shows that she won
the Charger Bar Handicap-G1 and the Northwest Championship Challenge-G2. She set a New Track Record at Les Bois Park in the Northwest Championship Challenge going 440 yards in a time of :21.180, a record that still stands today. Her total record shows 15 starts with 11 wins, one second and earnings of $1,342,389.
AB What A Runner entered the broodmare band with high expectations. She is the dam of 14 starters with 12 earning a racing ROM and three stakes
placed runners including Whata Corona Runner, a multiple stakes finalist including a second in the Golden State Juvenile; KD Star, second in the La Pacifica Handicap; and Lite My Fyre, who was second in the Elko County Fair Derby. Her foals have earned to date $227,707. She is also the dam of K D Zoom and she is the dam
of Apolitical Zoom, winner of the 2015 Las Damas Handicap-G3. So, the story
on the produce record for AB What A Runner is not over yet as she has foals like Skindatsmokewagon, a yearling waiting in the wings.
“From the first time we worked the filly, we were impressed. We knew we had a runner, but at the All American, they’re all runners. The time amazed and
impressed me. You can be confident, but you can’t ever expect one to run that fast.”
SPEEDHORSE September 2022 51
© KC McCleere © Don Shugart