Page 29 - Speedhorse, October 2021

KJ Desparado and the All American Dream
by Larry Thornton
SPEEDLINES
STREAKIN LA JOLLA
Raced to 3 • $56,227 8-8(1)-0-0
1,535 f., 87 SW • $25,112,496
SCOOPIE FEIN
Raced to 4 • $15,807 20-6-3-4
8 f., 1 SW • $837,511
APOLLO TB
Raced to 6 • $354,475 23-5(2)-4(4)-4(3)
736 f., 36 SW • $14,699,395
HALF TIME ATTRACTION
Raced to 2 • $14,734 11-1-2(1)-2(1)
18 f., 1 SW • $1,032,161
SIXARUN
Raced to 4 • $291,228 26-7(3)-7(1)-5(2)
711 f., 34 SW • $8,242,460
OUR THIRD DELIGHT
Raced to 2 • $53,688 5-1-3-0
15 f., 4 SW • $1,431,601
FIRST PLACE DASH
Raced to 5 • $155,475 27-16(13)-3(3)-5(4)
299 f., 45 SW • $6,906,225
RUNAWAY KATE
Raced to 3 • $29,011 9-4(1)-1-0
7 f., 1 SW • $282,192
STREAKIN SIX BOTTOM’S UP
SINN FEIN
LEGS LA SCOOP FALSTAFF
TUMBLE ALONG
FIRST DOWN DASH FAVORITE ATTRACTION STREAKIN SIX CHICKARUN
REB’S POLICY TB TINY’S DELIGHT FIRST DOWN DASH INDIGO ILLUSION RUNAWAY WINNER KIPTY KATE
EASY SIX
MISS ASSURED
RAISE YOUR GLASS TB LA JOLLA
THREE OH’S VANSARITA TOO SCOOPER CHICK
LA FERNE
LYPHARD
IVORINA
TUMBLE WIND
SHINE QUICK
DASH FOR CASH FIRST PRIZE ROSE EASY JET
NATIVE NOBLESSE EASY SIX
MISS ASSURED CHICK’S DECK
IDA RUN
NEW POLICY
YENOH REB
TINY WATCH
GAY’S DELIGHT
DASH FOR CASH FIRST PRIZE ROSE BEDUINO TB
COPY CAPRI
BEDUINO TB
MISS FAST CHIC KIPTYDOO
PLOS
MR JESS PERRY
Bred by: Jesse Perry
Raced to 4 • $687,184 21-12(5)-2(1)-0
1,875 f., 156 SW • $59,031,221
APOLLITICAL JESS
Bred by: Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga
Raced to 3 • $1,399,831 14-8(2)-4(2)-0
1,013 f., 90 SW • $44,438,882
APOLLITICAL TIME
Bred by: Vessels Stallion Farm LLC Raced to 6 • $904,242 35-14(10)-7(2)-5(4)
12 f., 1 SW • $1,524,988
TRES SEIS
Bred by: Mrs. Gwendolyn Eaves Raced to 3 • $856,901 12-6(1)-3(3)-3(1)
1,581 f., 60 SW • $25,695,688
TRES VESES
Bred by: Lee & Sherwood Racing LLC
Raced to 4 • $7,085 7-0-2-0
7 f., 1 SW • $1,787,098
FIRST PLACE KATE
Bred by: Jerry Windham Unraced
10 f., 0 SW • $120,609
The All American Futurity-G1 is an elusive race to win, but the All American Triple Crown is even more elusive, appear- ing almost impossible to win. One of the reasons for this title being so difficult is that it is hard for horses to qualify for all three races--the Ruidoso Futurity-G1, the Rainbow Futurity-G1 and the All American Futurity-G1. Only two horses qualified
for all three of this year’s All American Triple Crown races, Jess Savin Candy and KJ Desparado. Jess Savin Candy domi- nated, winning the Ruidoso and Rainbow Futurities and setting himself up with a chance to be just the second All American Triple Crown winner. On the other side
of the coin, KJ Desparado qualified for
all three legs of the All American Triple Crown, but he experienced traffic prob- lems and finished the Ruidoso Futurity in sixth place and the Rainbow in seventh.
But when the gates opened for the All American Futurity, Jess Savin Candy and KJ Desperado were off, but this time KJ
Desparado broke clean to win the 2021 All American Futurity-G1 and the All American Dream for his connections.
KJ Desparado, by Apollitical Jess and
out of the Lee-bred mare Tres Veses by Tres Seis, was bred in Arizona by L & L Land
& Cattle Company, owned by John and Kathy Lee. The brown gelding is owned by the Lees along with their neighbor Ruben Mares. They sent their horse to trainer Wes Giles, and he started him in the AQRA Turf Paradise Spring Futurity trials with a second place, qualifying to the finals. In those, he was “bumped hard at the break” and finished fourth. His next race was the trials for the Ruidoso Futurity with a wire-to-wire win to qualify to the finals. In those, he “bumped with a foe” at the break and finished sixth. He then won his Rainbow Futurity trial, making the finals. Again, he had traffic problems at the start “bumping with a foe” and this time he took home a seventh place finish. KJ Desparado was proving to be his own worst enemy.
When the trials for the All American Futurity came around, KJ Desparado went wire-to-wire and was the fastest qualifier from Day 1 of the trials and the sixth fastest qualifier overall. It must be noted that the five fastest qualifiers came out of Day 2 of the trials, which may show us some of the track bias that makes each racing day unique. When the gates opened for the All American Futurity finals, KJ Desparado got a clear path and overtook then leader FDD Scout to win by a neck, with Sippin Hayden finishing third and Jess Savin Candy fourth. The winner’s time with his regular jockey Adrian Ramos aboard was :21.252.
My conversation with John Lee took
him back to the beginning of his interest in Quarter Horse racing and how they came to achieve the All American Dream. “In 2001,
I bought a really nice bull and a real good friend of mine, Lincoln Sherwood, wanted part of him. He had a pretty nice horse, and I said, ‘Let’s just trade. I get half of your horse and you get half of my bull.’ That is how I
SPEEDHORSE October 2021 27
KJ DESPARADO