Page 59 - August 2021

It took 17 years to get the first All American Triple Crown winner.
But it has been 40 years since Special Effort took the elusive Triple Crown for two-year-old racing quarter horses. Will there be another Special Effort?
from the Miss Lethal family. This is the breeding of JM Miracle, the winner of the 2014 All American, who was a son of Volcom and out of a mare from the Miss Lethal family of mares.
Now that Jess Savin Candy has kept his Triple Crown hopes alive by winning the Rainbow Futurity, the talk is can he do it and become the next winner of the All American Triple Crown?
THE RAINBOW WEEKEND
It is interesting how weather can play
a part in the running of a race or several races. The weather on Saturday, July 24 of the recent Rainbow Weekend was good for Empressum, who easily won the Rainbow Derby-G1 and Whistle Stop Cafe, who won the Rainbow Oaks to keep her unbeaten record intact. When Sunday, July 25 rolled around, it started to rain and it rained so much that the first three races were canceled and if the Rainbow Futurity was to run it was going to be on a muddy track. The idea that it was raining brought to mind the 1981 All American Futurity and Special Effort who won that race on a muddy track completing his run for the All American Triple Crown.
The muddy track led to prerace speculation
All American Triple Crown. Could he handle the mud and keep his winning streak alive?
When the gates opened it was CC Hocks that took the lead while Jess Savin Candy got
off slow and had a difficult time getting a hold of the track. At one point it looked like he wouldn’t make it, then he hit his stride and went past CC Hocks at the wire by a nose. He crossed the finish line in a time of :19.600, with CC Hocks finishing in a time of :19.605. Jess Savin Candy not only kept his hopes alive for a Triple Crown victory, but he did it with the heart and determination of a horse that wants to win a Triple Crown Championship. Just like Special Effort did it in the mud 40 years ago.
A TRIPLE CROWN DOUBLE?
Our focus to this point has been on the All American Triple Crown. But Empressum has set himself up to earn the other triple crown in the Derby Triple Crown (the Ruidoso Derby-G1, Rainbow Derby-G1 and the All American Derby-G1). This Derby Triple Crown has been as elusive as the All American Triple Crown in that only three horses have earned this title. They are My Easy Credit in 1977 who won
the Kansas Derby, Rainbow Derby and the All American Derby; Dash For Speed in 1988, who
Empressum, a son of Apollitical Jess came into 2021 with a record of four wins in seven starts and earnings of $62,374 for 2020. He was a finalist in the Rainbow Futurity-G1, where he finished eighth, and he was a finalist in the Will Rogers Juvenile Challenge with a fifth.
Empressum stopped racing in October 2020 and didn’t return to the races until April 2021 winning the Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Derby-G1 for trainer Heath Taylor. The next stop was Ruidoso Downs and a run at the Derby Triple Crown series that has been so elusive.
Empressum gave an indication of what was to come in his Ruidoso Derby trial when he won in a time of :19.149 - a Ruidoso Downs New Track Record for 400 yards. He then won the Ruidoso Derby-G1 becoming the only horse eligible to win the Derby Triple Crown.
When the recent Rainbow Weekend came around, Empressum was still unbeaten in 2021 with a win in his trial for the Rainbow Derby as the second fastest qualifier. When the gates opened Empressum and stable mate Dulce Sin Tacha battled it out with Empressum securing a 1 1/2-length win in a time of :21.131.
So now it is on to the 2021 All American Futurity and Derby and the pursuit of Jess Savin
of how this class of Rainbow finalists would respond to the mud. That was the unknown, but it was an unknown for all the finalists. Many were thinking about what effect it would have on Jess Savin Candy and his quest for the
won the Kansas Derby, Rainbow Derby and All American Derby; and DM Shicago in 2005 who won the Ruidoso Derby, Rainbow Derby and the All American Derby. Will 2021 be the year we have another Derby Triple Crown winner?
Candy and Empressum to each give us a Triple Crown winner. It looks like we could have a very interesting Labor Day Weekend. But first, we have the All American trials as their next obstacle to score a Triple Crown title.
Jess Savin Candy winning the $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity-G1 on July 25.
SPEEDHORSE August 2021 57
Jake Rogers, Ruidoso Downs