Page 180 - December 2021

RACING NEWS
Miss Roxie Little Futurity
MR MICHEL
by Jess Johnson
Mr Michel held on to win by a head in the $198,200 Miss Roxie Little Futurity at Indiana Grand Race Course in Shelbyville,
Indiana on Oct 30.
The two-year-old gelding by Champion
Kiss My Hocks and out of Lovemelikethat was second out of the gates leaving from post five on a sloppy track.
By the second call, he had passed Cat Express. Mr Michel held his
lead and completed the 350
yard race in :17.615, earning
a speed index of 99 and the $109,010 winner’s share of the purse.
Jockey Erik Esqueda had qualified Mr Michel, Stormi Spirits and Botticelli Beach, winning trials on each horse on Oct. 9. In the end, he decided to ride Mr Michel in the final. Mr Michel was the second fastest qualifier.
QHRAI Derby
Mr Michael earned his first stakes win with Esqueda aboard when he won the Leader of the Class Sale Stakes at Indiana Grand on Sept. 15. In that one, Mr Michel closed the race with a 1 1/4-length margin of victory.
A $17,500 QHRAI Speed Sale purchase, Mr Michel deposited the $109,010 Miss Roxie Little Futurity winner’s share and has now earned $210,310 for his owner Alberto Valadez.
Trained by Claudio Barraza he has won five of his seven starts and been once second and once third. Mr Michel was bred in Indiana by Mark Michel.
High Rolling Seize was
a close second, inching up on Mr Michel in the final yards. High Rolling Seize (Seize The Win-Crossing The Brazos) was bred in Indiana by his owner, Glen Graff. He is trained by Matt
Frazier and was ridden by Shanley Jackson. He previously won the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity and was second in the Gordon Mobley Futurity.
Stormi Spirits finished third in his first ever stakes performance. The Indiana homebred gelding is owned by Owen Stanley and trained by Tim Eggleston. Sired by Jess Zoomin and out of Country Spirits, the three-time race win- ner was ridden by Edgar Diaz.
The remaining order of finish was Cat Express (Freighttrain B-Whata Chilled Cat), Lexus Beach (Escondido Beach-Jess Alive), All Star Beach (Escondido Beach-Flashin Dee Dee), Our Game Changer (Jess Zoomin- Cant Bug This Game), FE Stone Crusher (Brimmstone-Luella), Tooyahbooya (Capo De Capi-Boo Yah Too Yah), Botticelli Beach (Escondido Beach-Botticelli Shake).
Trainer Randy Smith also saddled the third place finisher, choosing Orlando Mojica to ride On A New Note (One Fabulous Eagle-Corona Cerveza) for owner Brian Gunder. The filly was the third fastest qualifier, placing second to WRS Moonin Thewagon in the Oct. 9 trials. A $22,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale purchase, On A New Note is now multiple stakes placed and increased her lifetime earnings to $70,526.
Completing the field were Jess Cindy (Apollitical Jess-Cindys First CD) in fourth, then Western Reserve (Im A Fancy Pyc- Western Fun), Cartel Creek (The Louisiana Cartel-Rawhide Creek), WRS Famous Molly (Five Bar Cartel-WRS Quick Eagle), Apollitical Tools (Apollitical Jess-No Tools Required), Jess Over Yonder (Apollitical Jess-Wyld Bleu Yonder) and Flyn (Coronado Cartel-Splittin Hairs).
WRS MOONIN THE WAGON
by Jess Johnson
WRS Moonin Thewagon closed his 2021 race season undefeated in four starts, winning the $122,240 QHRAI Derby at Indiana Grand Race Course on Oct. 30.
The Williams Racing Stables homebred
by Moonin The Eagle and out of WRS Quick Wagon, is trained by Randy Smith. The three- year-old grey gelding won his trial wire-to-wire and was the 2nd fastest qualifier to the finals.
“We had all kinds of confidence going into the race, but then the track
was just a sloppy mess,’’
Randy Williams said, “I had
open heart surgery five weeks ago, so I couldn’t be there. I was watching from home and he broke like a bullet. We were real happy.”
WRS Moonin Thewagon broke ahead of the field from the 3-hole over the sloppy track with Juan D. Marquez in the irons. He led at every call, winning by a neck
with a time of :19.815 and speed index of 97, earning $67,232 for the effort.
WRS Moonin Thewagon has had an impeccable racing career, earning $240,860 from nine starts with seven wins and two second place finishes, where he lost by only thousands of a second. The gelding has victories in the 2021 Indiana Grand QHRAI Derby and 2020 Governor’s Stakes.
His dam was also bred by the Williams, as was her dam, WRS Quick
Sister, who has produced earners of $352,342.
Stablemate and fourth fastest qualifier, Rock The Candy Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Jesses Candy) inched in late to finish second under German Rodriquez after breaking fourth in the field. The gelding was bred by owners Lane and Tammy Finlinson and is trained by Randy Smith.
178 SPEEDHORSE December 2021
Indiana Grand Race Course
$198,200 • 350 yards :17.615 • si 99
Tempting Dash
Kiss My Hocks
Romancing Mary
MR MICHEL, ‘19-g.
Likenothinyoueversaw
Lovemelikethat
First Smart Stride
Indiana Grand Race Course
$122,240 • 400 yards :19.815 • si 97
One Famous Eagle
Moonin The Eagle
Your First Moon
WRS MOONIN THEWAGON, ‘18-g. PYC Paint Your Wagon
WRS Quick Wagon
WRS Quick Sister
Coady Photography Coady Photography