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When Bobby Cox’s Ratification won the inaugural $421,326 All American Oaks at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 6, everyone involved paid tribute to the late John Buchanan.
The trainer had died just nine days before the race, and his assistant, Juan Vazquez, had to take over.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Dillon Lane, Cox’s 29-year-old grandson and someone Buchanan had mentored. “I’m tempted to say I wish he could have seen the race, but I know he had the best seat in the house.”
As a teenager, Lane watched Buchanan train Brimmerton through the first part of that colt’s Championship year in 2004. Lane spent much of last year with Buchanan, learning the trainer’s methods.
“He was really a great man,” Lane said. “I never knew anybody who could look at a horse as good as he could.”
Buchanan’s daughter, Amanda, attended the Oaks and represented her father.
“I know he’s here with us today,” Amanda said. “We owe so much credit to Juan for all that he’s done. He’s a member of our family and has kept it all together.
“We’re so proud, and it’s absolutely an honor to have won the inaugural running of the Oaks.”
After winning the inaugural Rainbow Oaks, Ratification zoomed to a five-length triumph in her Aug. 23 All American Oaks trial to qualify the fastest. That made her the 7-10 favorite for the final.
Under jockey Francisco Calderon, she dominated again, leading almost from the outset of the 440 yards and scoring by 1-length in at time of :21.345.
“We were real excited about her—she did good,” said Lane. “My grandfather
didn’t get to go. I got to talk to him, and he was just elated about it. We thought she had a really good chance to win it, and this being the first Oaks, that makes it exciting. I feel like it was really a great race for her.”
Vazquez gave most of the credit to Buchanan, saying, “John was so great with this horse, and she was ready to run. He really did a wonderful job with all of his horses, and he would have been so proud of her.”
Buchanan spent time with his horses and knew their quirks and traits. After
the Rainbow Oaks, he spoke about how Ratification could get “fidgety” at the barn when she didn’t have anything to do, but that “she’s a perfect lady” leading up to a race.
He also noted that Ratification was thriving at Ruidoso Downs.
“She’s just blossomed out here,” he said.
“She’s just one of those fillies that can really breathe good in this high altitude,” he contin- ued. “It makes a lot of difference. As hard as she runs, she blows pretty good.
“But by the time you get to the test barn, she’s quit blowing. She catches her breath quick.”
Buchanan was pleased with the new Oaks races for fillies at Ruidoso and talked about whether they would point Ratification to the All American Derby-G1 or the Oaks.
“We’d sure like to run against just fillies,” he said. “There are a lot of good fillies—there’s no easy deal at Ruidoso.”
Bred by: Bobby D. Cox
Raced to 3 $380,446 13-7(2)-1-1(1)
APOLLITICAL JESS
si 107
Bred by: Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga Raced to 3 • $1,399,831 14-8(2)-4(2)-0
875 f., 78 SW • $36,268,139
MR JESS PERRY si 113 Bred by: Jesse Perry Raced to 4 • $687,184 21-12(5)-2(1)-0
1,879 f., 155 SW • $57,975,363
APOLLITICAL TIME si 104
Bred by: Vessels Stallion Farm LLC Raced to 6 • $902,242 35-14(10)-7(2)-5(4)
11 f., 1 SW • $1,517,473
SHESA FIRST RATIFY
si 115
Bred by: Sandy Erwin Raced to 3 • $448,321 20-5(1)-4(1)-2
21 f., 1 SW • $662,050
FIRST DOWN DASH si 105
Bred by: A F Stanley Jr. &
B F Phillips Jr. • Raced to 3 $857,256 • 15-13(8)-1(1)-0 2,491 f., 258 SW • $89,253,904
RATIFY si 101
Bred by: Ramon Arroyo Sanchez Raced to 4 • $32,338
20-2-5-1
10 f., 1 SW • $557,263
Ratification and jockey Francisco Calderon win the $421,326 All American Oaks by 1-length.
SPEEDHORSE October 2020 125
RATIFICATION ‘17-f.