Dual Reyish, ridden by Austin Shepard. Hart Photography.

Dual Reyish, ridden by Austin Shepard , scored 222.5 points on Sunday, November 19 to take the lead after five days of NCHA Futurity Open first go-round competition. Im Quintan Checks, with John Sanislow, posted the day’s second-highest score of 221.5, as well as the current third-highest score overall, while CR Reyly Tuff and Kenny Platt marked 220.5. Platt also scored 221 points on Thursday, showing Bordeauxx.

Monday’s seven sets will complete the 41-set go-round and determine the makeup of the second go-round, which begins on Tuesday, November 14. Horses with the top 240 scores, plus ties, from the first go-round will advance to the second.

Dual Reyish, by Hottish, was bred by Greg Smith and is owned by Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Tex. The sorrel stallion is out of the Dual Rey daughter A Little Reylena LTE $126,058 and half-brother to Hay U LTE $184,390, by Third Cutting.

Dual Reyish is from Hottish’s first crop of foals to perform, including Reyzmehot, who scored 222 points on Saturday with Wes Ashlock, and Smooth Hottie, with 218.5 points under Josh Crumpler.

Austin Shepard , an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider and career earner of $7,050,634, ranks number four among cutting’s all-time leading money earners. Shepard won the 2006 NCHA Futurity aboard High Brow CD and claimed the reserve championship in 2016 riding Sir Long Legs.

Im Quintan Checks, was bred and is owned by Circle Y Ranch, Millsap, Tex., owners of his sire Im Countin Checks, a leading sire of 2017. Im Quintan Checks’ dam, Quintan Blue LTE $594,637, is the producer of 10 NCHA money earners of $944,383, including Blue One Time LTE $253,869, Cat Man Blue LTE $225,403, QB Cat LTE $173,211, and Blu Ray LTE $129,748.

John Sanislow, the NCHA earner of $194,284, was a 2016 NCHA Futurity Open Limited finalist and fourth-placed 2017 NCHA Derby Open Limited finalist on Quintessential High LTE $26, a half-sister to Im Quintan Checks. Sanislow has also earned nine major Open Limited championships.

CR Reyly Tuff, bred and owned by Center Ranch, Centerville, Tex.,  is by Woody Be Tuff LTE $351,063, an NCHA Top 20 leading sire of 2017. Out of Calie Del Rey LTE $109,261, by Dual Rey, CR Reyly Tuff is half-brother to Hay Maker LTE $230,218.

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.