One Alley Cat, shown by Cullen Chartier for Jarrett and Shannon Callahan, and Smokin Some Lena, with Craig Thompson for Barnwell Ramsey, tied with 222 points on Thursday, the second day of NCHA Futurity Open go-round competition. Bordeauxx and Kenny Platt marked 221 points for Jose Sigala, and Taliate and Casey Green tallied 220 for Bobby and Mary Jo Hawkins. Together with Metallicious, with 222 points under T.J. Good on Wednesday, these are the leaders, with 220 points or more, heading into Friday, the third of six days of Open first go-round competition.
One Alley Cat, by High Brow Cat, was bred by Matthews Cutting Horses, who sold him for $67,000 in the 2015 NCHA Futurity Sales. His dam, Nod N Smile Baby LTE $45,660, by One Time Pepto, was a 2010 NCHA Futurity Open finalist under Paul Hansma and has no money earners to date.
Cullen Chartier, the NCHA earner of $549,949, won six Open Limited aged event championships, between 2012 and 2014. Since then, he has earned four Open championships including, the 2017 Southern Futurity 5/6 Classic, aboard Iridescent Cat.
Smokin Some Lena, by Dual R Smokin, is out of Crystal Lady Lena LTE $12,304, the dam of three NCHA money earners of $28,949. Rider Craig Thompson, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $2,539,746, has won the NCHA Futurity two times – in 2006 on Oh Cay Felix and in 2011 NCHA Futurity on Oh Miss Caroline, both owned and bred by Patrick and Laura Collins, Lincoln, Ill.
Bordeauxx, by Bet Hesa Cat, is out of Uno Tassa Mia, by Smart Little Uno, and the dam of 13 NCHA money earners of $432,482, including Smart Time Pepto LTE $148,241, by One Time Pepto. Rider Kenny Platt is an NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $1,395,457. He won the 2010 NCHA Futurity Open Limited on Downtown Smarts, and the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes and NCHA Derby riding Moms Stylish Player.
Taliate, by Metallic Cat, is out of Reytaliate, an unshown daughter of Stylish Rey, who is double bred Dual Rey, out of Rey To Play LTE $165,605. Rider Casey Green, the NCHA earner of $931,380, won the 2005 NCHA Futurity Open Limited on Buckaroo Boon and most recently placed as reserve champion of the Ike Hamilton Futurity on Hes Real Special.