Twin Spires at Los Alamitos
Unbeaten Twin Spires claimed his third win by a half-length over Runaway Time in the $300,000 G1 Kindergarten Futurity on Saturday, May 16. It was the seventh Kindergarten win for veteran trainer Jaime Gomez, who qualified four horses for Saturday’s event.
Sired by Separatist, Twin Spires is owned and was bred by Dutch Masters III, who equaled the Kindergarten record for an owner with this his fourth victory. The win was worth $128,571 for Twin Spires, now ranked among Quarter racing’s top five 2-year-old money earners.
The leading 2-year-old Quarter Horse money earner is First Prize Leesa with $313,602. Winner of the $683,600 G1 Remington Park Futurity on April 18, the Mr Jess Perry daughter, trained by Heath Taylor for Weetona Stanley and W.E. Smith, is a full sister to 2006 Remington Park Futurity winner First Prize Robin and 2006 G1 Heritage Place Futurity winner First Carolina. The three sisters, with combined earnings of $1,023,796, are out of former broodmare of the year First Prize Dash, full sister to all-time leading sire First Down Dash.
First Prize Leesa’s half-brother, Heza Fast Dash, runnerup in the 2002 Remington Park Futurity, is currently the leading sire of 2-year-old winners.
Snowbound Superstar supreme in distance challenge
Snowbound Superstar edged out 870-yard world record holder Gone To The Mountain by a neck to win the Oklahoma Distance Challenge at Remington Park, on Sunday, May 10. It was the 14th consecutive win for the 6-year-old gelded son of Snowbound (TB), who stopped the clock at 44.288 seconds to break his own Remington Park track record.
Gone To The Mountain set a new world record of 43.029 seconds in the New Mexico Distance Challenge at Sunland Park earlier this year.
A two-times AQHA distance champion, Snowbound Superstar has not been defeated since February 11, 2006. Owned by Brenda and Tom Brinkley, he is trained by Paul Jones and was ridden by Cody Jensen.
Apolloonamission rockets to new track record
Talent and a strong tailwind from a storm-front that closed the track one race later helped Apolloonamission sprint to a new 350-yard track record on Friday, May 15 at Remington Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Apollo (TB) stopped the clock in 17.269 with her 1 1/2-length win. The effort shaved .004 seconds off the previous track record set by Separate Bet last March.
Apolloonamission is trained by Guillermo Valdiva for Maria Gutierrez, and was ridden by Paul Nieto. It was her third win in 11 career starts.
Season opener at Ruidoso Downs
Trials for the $500,000 G1 Ruidoso Futurity, at 350 yards, will be held on Friday, May 22. Varsity Girl, winner at 31 to 1 in the West Texas Futurity, will be making her first start since the April 19 Sunland Park stakes victory. The Shazoom daughter is trained by Ralph Muniz for Enrique Hernandez.
Brenda Beautiful, champion 2-year-old running filly of 2008, is expected to head the Ruidoso Derby trials on Saturday, May 23. The Feature Mr Jess daughter, owned by R.D. Hubbard and Johnny Jones Jr., is returning from a nearly six-month layoff.