Top-scoring horses on Wednesday, the second day of NCHA Futurity Open second go-round competition included Carolena Reyn, ridden by her owner, Matt Miller, Poolville, Tex., with 220 points and a cumulative score of 436.5 points, and Little Jo Cat, shown by Pedro Ornelas for Anderson Cattle Co., Victoria, Tex., with 219 and a cumulative of 435.5 points. At the end of Wednesday’s competition, the bubble for advancement to the Open Semi-Finals stood at 431 points. With three sets left on Thursday to conclude the go-round, the scores of Carolena Reyn and Little Jo Cat are all but assured a ticket to the Open Semi-Finals on Saturday, December 10.

Carolena Reyn, by Dual Smart Rey, was bred by Matt and Megan Miller, out of Carolena Moon LTE $76,150, who Megan showed as a 2002 NCHA Futurity Amateur finalist. Carolena Moon, by Peptoboonsmal, is the producer of 13 NCHA money earners of $651,325, including A Smooth Criminal LTE $134,686, by Smooth As A Cat; Reylena Moon LTE $118,075, by Dual Rey; and Stylish Swagger LTE $109,016, by Stylish Rey.

Matt Miller is an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider and NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame inductee of $3,099,842. He won the 2006 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity aboard Travs Scooter and has been a six-times Open finalist in the NCHA Futurity. Most recently, Miller won the 2017 Brazos Bash Open on Graces CD, and the Pacific Coast Cutting Stakes 4-Year-Old Finals on Metallic Smart Cat.

Little Jo Cat, by High Brow Cat, was bred by Anderson Cattle Co., out of Jojo Boon LTE $159,941, by Peptoboonsmal.  Jojo Boon won the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open Limited with Geoffrey Sheehan, and placed fourth in the 2010 NCHA Derby Non-Pro under Steve Anderson.

Pedro Ornelas is the NCHA earner of $71,199. He won the 2012 Breeders Invitational Open Limited on Rouge Blues, as well as the 2013 Open Limited divisions of the Tunica Futurity and the Western States Fall Futurity.