It was hot time in Cowtown on Saturday, when Stylish Martini,  won the 2011 NCHA Derby with 224.5 points under Roger Wagner for Marvine Ranch, owned by Jon and Abby Winkelreid.

“She’s just so quick through that turn, that she can be on the other side of a cow before it gets (back) there,” said Wagner, who also showed finalist (20th) Stylish Boonsmal for Marvine Ranch.

“The first two cows were maybe a little soft, the last cow sure tried her. I knew I had to cut that cow to have a shot at winning it, and we worked her for a long time – a bit over 30 seconds.

“That mare really felt dialed in. She had one miss that worried me a little bit, but she got back in and held on good and waited in that stop and thought about that turn.”

Stylish Martini, sired by Docs Stylish Oak and bred by Marvine Ranch, out of Miss Martini Play, placed fourth with Wagner in the NCHA Futurity, and sixth in the NCHA Super Stakes.

“She’s been a good mare for me in all three finals here in Fort Worth,” said Wagner. “But tonight, we finally managed to cut good cows and get it all together.”

It was the first NCHA Derby win for Wagner, who had won the 2007 NCHA Classic Challenge on Quintan Blue, whose son, Cat Man Blue, tied for fifth in the Derby Open under Sean Flynn.

RPL Ich This, by Cat Ichi, scored 221 points as reserve champion, under Tim Smith for Bobbie Atkinson.

“I knew she was really good, and we cut her some good cows and she handled it really well,” said California-based Smith, who was catch riding for Phil Rapp.

“She was outstanding, and she actually got better every run we made this week. The best horse won it. But that was a pretty impressive group of horses. I was tickled to do so well. I thought we might finish somewhere in the middle.”

RPL Ich This, winner of the PCCHA Futurity and the Music City Futurity under Rapp, is out of Ruby Duece, earner of over $115,000, and the first horse that Smith showed as a catch rider for Rapp, cutting’s all-time leading money earner.

Read more in the Daily Chatter.

Full results.