Page 199 - April2022

“He’s rode this horse three or four times and did real good on him,” Jim Wheeler said. “I was proud to see he got him back up there.”
Shirley Wheeler praised the work of Keener and his team. “Dee’s done a very good job. All of his outfit is good at what they do.”
This was the first time either the Wheelers or Gonzalez had won this particular stakes race. For Keener, it marked his third victory in this event. His other Graham winners were Bullet Bonnie in 2019 and PHQ Goodbye Earl in 2017.
“I’ve trained for Jim and Shirley off and on for quite a while. They’ve had nice Paints in the past. They’re really good owners, too,” Keener said. “I didn’t know they hadn’t won it before.”
Shirley Wheeler home-bred JS Runnin Wire. She and her husband, Jim, breed all their racehorses.
“We never buy a horse. Everything we run is just what we’ve raised,” Jim said, adding that JS Runnin Wire “didn’t do very good as a 2 year old, then the latter part of the year he started running.”
Making his debut in March of 2021, JS Runnin Wire didn’t reach the winner’s circle until his sixth start. He closed a busy 11-race rookie schedule by winning three of his last four outs, including the Pot O’ Gold Futurity-G1 last October at Will Rogers Downs. He also finished third in last year’s running of the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity.
The $24,138 payday from this event pushed the gelding’s cumulative earnings to $89,326.
The Wheelers bred JS Runnin Wire and
own his dam, Iwilliewantarunner, a lightly raced 2005 Quarter Horse mare. Her brood includes Hotwiredotcom, a full brother to JS Runnin Wire, who was the World Champion Paint in 2017.
“She’s had three stakes winners,” Jim said of Iwilliewantarunner. “Everything she’s had has run.”
Look for JS Runnin Wire to maintain an active schedule— especially if the results keep coming like this one.
“As long as he keeps winning, we’ll keep running him,” Shirley said.
“The horse they had picked ... we’ve outrun them before. They’ve outrun us before. That’s the way it works,” Jim said.
This race was open to Paints
and Appaloosas, but the entire
field consisted of Paints, and CRM Livewire APHA sired seven of the eight competitors—including the winner.
RP Reckless Wire APHA (CRM Livewire-RP Miss Reckess Dash QH) finished a close second for owner
Roy Kent Perkins and trainer Ray Enlow. Cody Wainscott had the riding assignment. RF Livies Livewire APHA (CRM Livewire-RF Livies Special QH), the post-time favorite, finished in third place. Marvin and Pam Wilcox own the gelding, another Keener trainee who had Juan Pulido in the irons.
The remaining order of finish was DTL Hot Wired APHA (MHM Hotwire-Shez Showin Off), Wired To Win APHA (CRM Livewire-Mt De Boss), Shez Wired Up APHA (CRM Livewire-Sheza Pretty Jesse QH), My Name Is APHA (CRM Livewire- Dashin DD) and Getrekt By Vito APHA (Coronado Cartel QH-Recketta).
RACING NEWS
Matt Vance joins Js Runnin Wire’s winning connections, including jockey Gonzalo Gutierrez and trainer Dee Keener.
Js Runnin Wire and Gonzalo Gutierrez are guided to the winner’s circle.
SPEEDHORSE April 2022 197
Myriam Maynard, Speedhorse Myriam Maynard, Speedhorse