Page 138 - Speedhorse June 2020

RACING NEWS
Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1
POWER FADE
by Tracy Gantz
One of the most rewarding experiences for an owner and a breeder is watching a young horse develop. J. Garvan Kelly is espe-
cially pleased with homebred Power Fade, who won the $136,700 Speedhorse Graham Paint and Appaloosa Futurity-G1 at Remington Park on May 30 as the longest shot in the field at 30-1.
“I’ve been very fond of that filly all along,” said Kelly. “She was a little bit slow to come around, but she was always a very good foal. You could do anything you wanted with her. She just had a great mindset.”
Prior to the Graham, Power Fade hadn’t won in four starts. But she had finished third in two trials, qualifying first to the $103,200 PSBA American Paint Classic Futurity-G1
at Remington Park and then the Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1, also at Remington.
Her Graham trial impressed Kelly.
“I noticed the way she finished,” Kelly said. “I was watching it the other night, and I told my wife, ‘If this filly breaks like I know she can and gets a clean break, they’re going to have to come catch her.’ I wish I had been there.”
The COVID-19 restrictions have kept Kelly away from Remington Park and his Eire Stock Farm in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He lives in
Palm Desert, California, and watched the race from there. Power Fade did precisely
as Kelly had predicted. Ridden by Juan Pulido,
she broke like a shot and immediately began increas-
ing her advantage. She had
a 1/2-length lead at the first
call, a length on the field midway through the race,
and ended up scoring by a 1/2-length in :17.635 for 350 yards, posting an 87 speed index.
“It was one of the fastest 350’s stated Kelly proudly.
The Remington card included
Place Futurity and Heritage Place
Stakes for Quarter Horses. Kelly noted how closely Power Fade came to Whistle Stop Cafe’s time of :17.616 in winning the Juvenile.
Dee Keener trains Power Fade for J. Garvan Kelly and co-owner Lloyd J. Yother.
Trainer Keener also qualified second-place finisher Lota Cowboy Try for owner Planefun LLC, and the trainer completed the Exacta with his two horses.
Kelly was winning the Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity for the first time.
“I haven’t raced too many Paints,” he said. “But a fast horse is a fast horse.”
Kelly has been involved with Power Fade’s family for quite some time.
He and Nancy Yearsley have long bred and raced horses in the name of Kelly/ Yearsley Equine LLC.
They raced the graded stakes-placed Quarter Horse filly Sheeza Lil Val, a daugh-
ter of Dashing Val.
Sheeza Lil Val, when bred to Country
Quick Dash, produced the Paint filly Valdarama for the partners.
A three-time winner and earner of $83,786, Valdarama produced stakes-placed Fade Shot, the dam of Power Fade. Kelly and Yearsley bred Power Fade in Oklahoma. Fade Shot has produced two starters, both winners.
“Fade Shot was a pretty talented filly,” said Kelly. “But she got a bad knee, and we quit on her after just a few two-year-old races. She is a beautiful, big mare.”
Kelly stated that Yearsley has “eased out” of the breeding and racing business and that in the future, Yother will be the co-breeder of
136 SPEEDHORSE June 2020
Remington Park $136,700 • 350 yards :17.635 • si 87
PYC Paint Your Wagon QH
Painted Turnpike
High Class Turnpike
POWER FADE APHA, ‘18-f.
Fade To Fame
Fade Shot
Valdarama
of the night,”
the Heritage Juvenile
Power Fade and jockey Juan Pulido win the $136,700 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 by 1/2-length.
Dustin Orona Photography