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Gillespie County Fair Futurity
UNOME VALENTINE
by Michael Compton
Unome Valentine didn’t stick around long enough for his foes to get to know him in the $209,850 Gillespie County Fair Futurity.
The sorrel gelding scampered clear of his rivals early in the 350-yard dash and proved uncatchable, winning the lucrative stakes event on Aug. 28 in his stakes debut.
Ridden by Jose Herbert, Unome Valentine broke cleanly and dueled for supremacy
early. He wrestled the lead
away from Mr James Ivory
and won pulling away by 3/4-length at the finish, while stopping the timer in :17.702. The final clocking earned a speed index of 95.
Owned by Josefina Guzman and trained by Juan Diaz Jr., Unome Valentine has now won three of his four lifetime starts. The $73,448 winner’s share of the purse
QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity
WINNER SPIRIT
by John Moorehouse
Winner Spirit is on a heck of a run. The 2-year-old gelding notched his third straight victory and scored a stakes win for
the first time, taking the $196,736 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity on Sept. 3 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The purse marked the largest sum in the history of this race.
Walter Harrison home-bred the gelding, who has made 5 career starts. This win, his 1st in stakes company, produced a
$76,728 payday that improved
the horse’s total bankroll to more than $96,128.
Harrison shared that
he bred and raised Winner Spirit at his own farm, “He just kept getting bigger and getting stronger. The bigger he got, the better he went.” Racing exclusively at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Winner Spirit started his current win streak in a July 23
are just proud of his performance. He is one of a few progeny of A Dashing Valentine, a stallion my husband owned and we have in our care.”
Jess PF Flyer (PYC Paint Your Wagon- Jesstaflable) and jockey J. Ramirez were 2nd for owner Jesus Vasquez Luna & trainer Adrian Huitron. The gelding broke his maiden on debut at Louisiana Downs in March and won his trial heat in his most recent outing. Mr James Ivory (Ivory James- Your Cash Treat) & jockey Claudio Aguilar led early and held 3rd for owner-trainer Randall Read. The gelding, who was denied a 3rd straight win, broke his maiden in July and then took his trial heat by 2-lengths. Followed by Jess A Flyboy (Mr Jess Perry- Straw Flying Lady), At Ease (Favorite Cartel-Eye Betta Kim), Spumante (FDD Dynasty-Miss Totts), Cute Corona Lime (Prized Wagon-Cutie Pie Perry), Hes No Average Bear (Hes Relentless-Nice Hustle), LJ Luna Liena (KVN Corona-Risen Eagle). Santa Apollitical was scratched.
“The jockey did an excellent job, and the trainer did, too,” Harrison said. Winning Spirit finished the futurity in :17.999 for an 88 speed index. Harrison also owns Winning Spirit’s dam, Ms Victorita, a 2012 mare.
Runaway Beach Chic (Escondido Beach-Silly Chix) was 2nd for Pamela Brickley Hann, trainer Anthony Cunningham & jockey Francisco Quintero. Flat Out Smoking (Escondido Beach- Botticelli Shake) was 3rd for Campus Family Ventures LLC, trainer Jessica Vazquez and rider Giovani Vazquez-Gomez. Followed by Mary Jane (Five Bar Cartel-Fire And Delight), Jupyter (Moonin The Eagle-Separate Dynasty), Flashin Five Bar (Five Bar Cartel-Flashin Dee Dee), We B Flyin (Freighttrain B-CB Come Fly With Me), DNA Mr Independent (Jess Zoomin- Dnachrystalsfighter) & CV Struttinforakiss (Kiss My Hocks-Struttin For Money). HF Whoopi scratched.
increased his earnings to $90,549. Bred
in Oklahoma by Jose Guzman, Unome Valentine is out of Unome Love, who was winless in two starts during her racing career. Unome Valentine broke his maiden on debut at Remington Park in April and then finished third in an allowance dash before winning his trial heat on Aug. 13.
“This race meant a lot to my family, “said Josefina Guzman. “We
weren’t able to be present for the race as we were attending the one-year anniversary mass service of my husband’s passing. We were leaving service when I received word that the horse had won. My family and I could not have been more happy about the accomplishment, especially on that day that we were remembering my husband.
“The horse has shown tremendous heart and we
RACING NEWS
Gillespie County Fair
$209,850 • 350 yards :17.702 • si 95
Tempting Dash
A Dashing Valentine
Corona Valentine
UNOME VALENTINE, ‘20-g.
Unome
Unome Love TB
Champagne Toast
maiden. Then he won his trial for this futurity on Aug. 13 as the fifth fastest qualifier.
There was no catching him in the finals. After breaking near the back of the back from the outside starting gate in a 9-horse field, Winner Spirit made a sharp run up to 2nd going into the stretch, then surged into the lead and made it to the wire first by a full length.
“I was a little bit surprised he went that quick or that fast. We hadn’t
done that much with him,” Harrison said. “Until recently he just kind of came on like gangbusters for the last month.”
Randy Smith trains Winner Spirit, and Erik Esqueda was up. Esqueda was an addition to Smith’s usual stable of jockeys, needed because Smith had 4 trainees in the field. Esqueda was also aboard the winning horse in the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby on the same card.
Horseshoe Indianapolis
$196,736 • 350 yards :17.999 • si 88
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Spirit
Apollitical Time
WINNER SPIRIT, ‘20-g.
Mighty Invictus
Ms Victorita
Senorita Tres
SPEEDHORSE October 2022 195
Coady Photography