Halreycious and Lloyd Cox shut out the competition with a 226-point win in the Ford NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic this evening. The score was seven points above second-placed SL Jaybird, ridden by Winston Hansma.
“The cattle didn’t look too good in the first bunch,” said Cox, who drew first in the second bunch of the 25-horse finals.”But my helpers and I were on the same page and Boyd Rice did a good job settling the cattle.”
SL Jaybird’s 219-point score was by far the best of the first bunch, where nine of the 12 competitors scored under 210 points, but Halreycious was unbeatable.
“He’s extremely talented,” said Cox, who rides the 5-year-old Dual Rey-sired stallion, for Linda Holmes, Longmont, CO. “I rode both his father and his mother, but I don’t know if I’ve ever ridden a horse as physical and talented as him. His mom might have been the closest.”
Halreycious was trained by Corey Holden; Cox took up the reins in July 2006. “I’ve had a lot more success on other horses, but it was probably because we were more in sync,” Cox noted. “It took a while for us to get adapted to each other. There’s always a transition. But there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s one of the most talented horses I’ve ever ridden.”
This is the third Triple Crown event title for Cox, who won the 1999 NCHA Derby on Smart Lookin Hi Brow, and the 2003 NCHA Classic Challenge on Halreycious’ dam, Stylish Play Lena, by Docs Stylish Oak. He was also reserve champion of the 1996 Super Stakes on High Brows Nurse, a half-sister to Dual Rey, owned by Linda Holmes.
Stylish Play Lena, owned by Gail Holmes, Linda’s sister, is also the dam of 5-year-old Reydiculous, a full brother to Halreycious and earner of $70,000 under Cox, as well as 6-year-old Stylish Rey with $28,000. The three full siblings are Stylish Play Lena’s only performers to date.
Linda Holmes bred and owns Dual Rey, the sire of six Super Stakes Open Classic finalists, and the second leading sire of money earners in 2006. Already this year, Dual Rey has sired 68 major event finalists.
“Dual Rey was a lot like his mother,” noted Cox. “He had so much draw that you could cut a tough cow, but would ultimately end up right in the middle bringing that tough cow to you. They understood how to make a cow set up and work. That’s something you can’t train into them. It helps your job, that’s for sure.”