Boyd Rice was “a little bit nervous,” after NCHA Futurity champions Metallic Cat and Beau Galyean scored 226 points deep in the second set of the Super Stakes Open Finals, Sunday, April 19.
“I told Halee, my wife, there are a lot of points between 219.5 and 226,” said Rice, referring to Galyean’s mark and the next-highest score of 219.5 by Eyez On Me and Bill Riddle.
“Yes, but there are a lot more above 226,” said Halee, who had warmed up Third Cutting for her husband to show as the 21st rider in the 23-horse field.
With that thought in mind, Rice and Third Cutting, owned by Carl and Shawnea Smith, Jacksboro, TX, went full throttle with a 230-point performance – just one point shy of the 231-point record set by Sunettes Dually and Matt Gaines in the 2001 NCHA Super Stakes.
“He’s been good all week and I haven’t had to do much with him,” said Rice. “He’d actually been a little too wild, moving too much, and I just tried to slow him down this afternoon. I guess it worked.”
Rice purchased the Boonlight Dancer son for the Smiths out of last fall’s Polo Ranch Dispersal. The colt had been trained until then by James Payne.
Third Cutting and Rice advanced to the semi-finals with a cumulative score of 444 points and marked 219 in the Semi-Finals.
Including checks as a top finalist in the NCHA Futurity and the Abilene Spectacular, Third Cutting’s earnings now top $215,490.
In all but five years of the 28-year history of the NCHA Super Stakes, Metallic Cat’s 226-point score would have won the event.
“Boyd had a great run,” said Galyean, who showed Metallic Cat as the eighth horse in the second set. “But I feel pretty good about our run. A 226 is pretty high in this building (Will Rogers Coliseum). And it just goes to show that you never know.”
Metallic Cat, a High Brow Cat son owned by Alvin Fults, Amarillo, TX, is cuttin’s leading 4-year-old money earner with $448,921, including $26,300 from the SSIF.
In additon to his NCHA Futurity championship, he was also champion of the Abilene Spectacular and reserve champion of the Tunica Futurity.
“We did the best we could,” said Galyean, who was a non-pro rider last year at this time. “I feel very honored to ride him. He’s a really smart, brilliant horse.
Non-Pro champions
“It’s just a dream, really,” said Megan Miller, of her rare double championship wins aboard Travs Scooter (221.5 points), in the Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic, and Itawtathenapuddycat, in the Super Stakes Non-Pro with 219.5 points.
Only Jim Milner, in 1987, aboard Playboy Bee Jay and Docs Hickory Chicks, has achieved the same accomplishment.
“I feel really lucky,” said Miller, whose husband, trainer Matt Miller, won the 2006 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity on Travs Scooter and was reserve champion of the 2006 Non-Pro Super Stakes on Hokies Cat. “I’m just riding the wave and enjoying every moment. This is something I never imagined would happen.”
Itatawthenpuddycat, by Athena Puddy Cat, was an open finalist at the Augusta Futurity and the Tunica Futurity under Matt Miller.
“He’s a special horse,” said Miller, who rode Travs Scooter to win the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic. “He’s just gotten better and better every go-round.
Lindy Ashlock and Rey Nounce claimed the Super Stakes Non-Pro reserve championship with 219 points, after claiming the second go-round and the Non-Pro Semi-Finals win with 219 points.
“I won the first go-round of the (NCHA) Futurity and then we ran into some problems,” said Ashlock, who purchased the Dual Rey son from Gail Holmes, last year at this time. “We had body clipped him and it scalded his back, so he was sore.”
Itawtathenapuddycat now has career earnings of $38,700; Rey Nounce has earnings of $33,252.