Rodrigo Taboga and Sugar Smak marked 220 to be the first champions crowned at the 2019 Great American Insurance NCHA Futurity, presented by North Texas Chevy Dealers in Fort Worth’s historic Will Rogers Coliseum on December 4.
Tin Man, shown by Zeb Corvin, took the reserve championship with a 218.5. Two riders, Justin White on Metallic Lil Jazz, and Corvin on Rosa Del Pepto, tied for third with 218 points.
Bred by Chet Burrows, and owned by Bridget May Trenary of Nashville, Tennessee, Sugar Smak is by Kit Kat Sugar, out of the Smart Mate mare Mates Pretty Special, a mare that has also produced Special Wild Hair ($29,563).
Mates Pretty Special’s dam, also produced Quixotes Pretty Lady ($91,494), which Sandy Bonelli rode to win the 1995 NCHA Non-Pro Derby, after placing seventh in the NCHA Open Futurity.
The family has also produced El Rancho Futurity champion Smart N Special ($55,909) and $2.8 million sire Justa Swinging Peppy.
Taboga, who was Brazil’s leading rider in 2017/2018, placed third in last year’s Limited Open at the NCHA Futurity on The Dewd. He has had a string of successes this year, including championships at the Southern Derby, Ike Hamilton Derby and Classic, Breeders Invitational, Pacific Coast Futurity 5/6-year-old, Brazos Bash Classic and West Texas Classic. His Limited Open win in the Futurity takes him over the $200,000 mark in NCHA earnings.
Reserve champion Tin Man was bred by Linda Holmes and is owned by Stella Swanson of Midland, Texas. He is by Metallic Cat out of Nurse Moss, a mare that also produced Super Stakes reserve champion Melting Snow ($101,643). Nurse Moss is a full sister to #2 all-time leading sire Dual Rey.
Zeb Corvin has won Limited Open championships at the Breeders Invitational and the Pacific Coast Derby.