Page 247 - September2021

Grande Prairie Sale Stakes
OBSESSED BUG
by Danny Camp
Eight qualifiers lined up for the running of the $16,919 Grand Prairie Sales Stakes Futurity at Evergreen Park on Aug. 21. Obsessed Bug proved
herself to be the best.
Sixth fastest qualifier Obsessed Bug hopped
away from the 1-post and got the first call. She held her lead position throughout the contest. Jockey Corrine Andros sat quiet and by mid way they were a head in front.
They crossed the line a 1/2-length to the good, completing the 300 yards in :16.259 for a wire-to- wire victory.
Trained by William Leech, the daughter of Obsessed With Corona also earned the first place check worth $7,613, which puts her total bankroll at $19,291, and her race record is two wins out of four races for owner Travis Reay.
Obsessed Bug finished third in her Aug. 7 trial to the Grande Prairie Sale Stakes.
Prior to this event, the bay filly was the second-place finisher in the Alberta Stallion Stakes Futurity after stumbling at the start of
that race. She won her trial to the Alberta Stallion Stakes Futurity in her first out with a wire-to-wire performance.
Ralph Danard bred Obsessed Bug in Canada out of Paulina Bug, who finished second in the Firecracker Futurity as well as the Pot O’Gold Futurity in 2007. She has produced 100% win- ners from five starters, including top earner Kool Shazoom, winner of the Canada Cup Futurity-G3. Obsessed Bug is her third stakes winner.
Second fastest qualifier Destello De Luna (Lethal N First-A Mere Toast) gained enough ground after the break to finish second under Ricardo Moreno for owners Jane Leech and Haley Moreno. Trainer William Leech is in charge of con- ditioning. The gelding finished third in the Alberta Stallion Stakes Futurity earlier this year.
Fastest qualifier RM Risky Business (Cowboy 109-Miss Invictus Eh) held on enough to capture third place for owner WT Ranch and trainer Buckey Stockwell. Larris Allen was handling the reins. This only marks the filly’s second start. She won her Aug. 7 trial.
First Authority (First Timber-Sparkling Hy), Timbers Moon (First Timber-Wakeup Miss Moon), Top Shelf 109 (Special Fly Bye-See Me Do It Too), Private Cruise (BD Cruiser-Eyesa Screamer) and Obsessive Gambler (Obsessed With Corona-Snake Eyed Gal) completed the order of finish.
BOA Emerald Champ. Chal.
CMONCEINABLUEMOON
by Michael Compton
Sent off as a 22-1 longshot in the $48,994 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge, CM Once Ina Bluemoon lit up the tote board with a 1 1/2-length score in the 440-yard dash on Aug. 22. The win earned the accomplished six-year-old bay gelding a berth in the Oct. 23 Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 at The Downs at Albuquerque.
With jockey James Wooten Jr. aboard for owner Chris Sutton and trainer Nick Lowe, CM Once Ina Bluemoon overcame a bump after the start to race in second position early.
He collared early leader, stablemate and odds- on favorite CM Boom Shakalaka in the lane and gained 1 1/2-lengths at the top of the stretch. He then drew clear late to record a comfortable victory over eight rivals.
He covered the distance in :22.765, good for a speed index of 83.
The $23,027 winner’s share of the purse increased his lifetime earnings to $132,143.
Bred in Oregon by Randy Dickerson, the bay son of Ivory James is produced from the Jess Louisiana Blue mare Cool Blue Corona.
CM Once Ina Bluemoon has now won 15 of 38 career starts. He has won three stakes events, including scores in the 2019 and 2020 AQHA Emerald Downs Distance Challenge Stakes.
The gelding has also finished second in the Baxter Andruss Oregon Bred Futurity and in the Portland Meadows Fall Derby. He was third in the Portland Meadows Championship Bonus Challenge Stakes and is a multiple stakes finalist, including in the AQHA Distance Challenge Championship-G1 in 2020.
Multiple stakes winner CM Boom Shakalaka (Carters Cartel-Mi Fames A Dandy), under Luis Gonzalez, held second for the same connections as the winner—Sutton and Lowe.
Arizona Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Check Her For Cash), with Jaime Lopez aboard, rallied late to finish third for owner K and R Allred Ranch and trainer Hector Magallanes.
L Bar D Genuine Red (Genuine Strawfly-Be First Rose) was fourth and Dr Tool (Kiss My Hocks-Where Eagles Soar), Sables Dashin (FDD Dynasty-Painted Sable), DF Storm Tales (Wagon Tales-Storm’s Promise TB), Lidonna (Separate Interest-Lidonna Madonna), and Thrill Of The Cartel (Favorite Cartel-License To Thrill) com- pleted the order of finish.
John Deere EMD Juv. Chal.
APOLINARIA PRIZE
by Michael Compton
Fastest qualifier from the Aug. 1 trials, Apolinaria Prize ran to her 6-5 odds in the $51,519 John Deere Emerald Downs Juvenile Challenge finals
on Aug. 22, becoming a stakes winner in her fifth lifetime start for owner Juan Manuel Marquez and trainer Jose Rosales Gomez.
Ridden by Cesar Moreno, Apolinaria Prize broke alertly in the 350-yard fixture. She showed the way early, leading by 1-length at the first call. She kept to her task through the lane, ultimately scoring by 2-lengths at the finish.
The bay filly stopped the timer in :18.351, earn- ing a speed index of 85.
With the victory, Apolinaria Prize secured a
spot in the $125,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship-G3 on Oct. 23 during the Bank of America Challenge Championship at The Downs
at Albuquerque. The win improved the bay filly’s record to 5-3-0-2 and the $24,214 winner’s share of the purse increased her bankroll to $39,014.
Apolinaria Prize won her second start of the year in the trials to the Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass Downs. In those finals, she ended in third place in a blanket finish between the top three finishers for her first foray into blacktype.
Bred in California by EG High Desert Farms LLC, Apolinaria Prize is out of the Finding Nemo mare SS Calendar Girl, winner of the 2013 Speedhorse Derby-G3 at Fair Meadows at Tulsa as well as winner of the 2014 Native Empress Handicap at Los Alamitos.
Runner-up Leaving Angelz (Coronas Leaving You-Angel Eyez), piloted by Jaime Lopez, broke in and bumped after the start and chased the winner throughout for owner Ruben Magallanes and trainer Hector Magallanes. The brown gelding also won his trial to this race and previously scored in the consolation to the Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass Downs.
Empowered To Prosper (Kiss My Hocks- Shakemuppery) and jockey Nakia Ramirez finished third in an even effort for owner RTM Stables LLC and trainer Mark Hanson. The gelding was third in the Beehive Futurity and is a 2-time winner.
Eagle Assault (One Famous Eagle-First Prize Joy), Sonoras Death Row (Five Bar Cartel-Shes Sweet N Can Fly), CM Rosie At Ta Bar (Five Bar Cartel-CM Mo Baby), Uncle Shine (Freighttrain B-Fergilicious), and Like Da Boss (Capo De Capi- Real Queen Like It) completed the order of finish. Set The Scene was scratched.
RACING NEWS
Evergreen Park • $16,919
300 yards • :16.259
Corona Cartel
Obsessed With Corona
OBSESSED BUG, ‘19-f. Paulina Bug
Mighty Obscession Shazoom
Lanty Bug
Emerald Downs • $51,519
350 yards • :18.351 • si 85
Corona Cartel
Fast Prize Cartel
Fast First Prize Finding Nemo
APOLINARIA PRIZE, ‘19-f. SS Calendar Girl
First Prize Robin
Emerald Downs • $48,994
440 yards • :22.765 • si 83
Corona Cartel
Dashing Follies
CM ONCE INA BLUEMOON, ‘15-g.
Jess Louisiana Blue
Cool Blue Corona
Ivory James
Corona Lil
SPEEDHORSE September 2021 245