Metallics MVP, sired by Metallic Cat and shown by Austin Shepard for Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Tex., scored 221 points on Monday, to claim the top cumulative score of 440.5 points, in the second go-round of NCHA Open Derby competition. Metallics MVP’s 221-point score also tied as the highest score from the second go-round. The Cat Doctress, sired by High Brow Cat and shown by Geoffrey Sheehan for Beechfork Ranch, Forth Worth, Tex., also earned 221 points, and a cumulative of 438 points.
Forty-eight horses with cumulative scores of 433 points or higher advanced to this coming Saturday’s NCHA Derby Open Semi-Finals
The Dewd, sired by Metallic Cat and shown by Rodrigo Taboga for Beau and Ashley Galyean, Fort Worth, Tex., earned 439.5 points (220.5 and 219) the second-highest cumulative, while Bama Jelly, sired by Bamacat and shown by Austin Shepard for Madalyn Colgrove, Boligee, Ala., earned the third-highest cumulative, 438.5 (221 and 217.5).
Stylish Hailee, by Halreycious, with James Payne for Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla., rounded out the top five cumulative earners with 438 points (219 and 219).
Metallics MVP LTE $69,829 placed in the NCHA Futurity Open (19th) and the Open Limited (28th) with Hayden Upton. This year, the Metallic Cat son has earned $48,002 in major events with Austin Shepard, including the reserve championship of the Ike Hamilton Futurity. My Lizzy Babe LTE $163,653, Metallics MVP’s dam, won five major West Coast championships under Tim Smith, and was a successful Non-Pro limited age event competitor for John Kratzer. My Lizzy Babe, by Lizzys Gotta Player is a full sister to 2016 NCHA Open Derby champion Moms Stylish Player LTE $364,394, as well as to Card Trick LTE $191,555, Lizzys Gotta Babe LTE $91,137, and Stylish Lizzie LTE $90,697.
Austin Shepard, the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame earner of over $8 million, won the 2017 NCHA Derby on Sir Long Legs LTE $361,223, sired by High Brow Cat and owned by Lew Hall, Highland City, Fla. Shepard also qualified for Saturday’s Open Semi-Finals with a cumulative of 433.5 points (215 and 218) riding Hammer Hughes, sired by Thomas E Hughes and owned by Joel Colgrove, Boligee, Ala.
The Dewd LTE $36,073 was an NCHA Open Semi-Finalist with Rodrigo Taboga and has earned $18,913 this year under Taboga and Beau Galyean. The Metallic Cat gelding is a full brother to Metallic Rebel LTE $411,837, the 2017 NCHA Open Horse of the Year and winner of 10 major events under Beau Galyean.
The Cat Doctress LTE $59,250, was shown as an NCHA Futurity Semi-Finalist under Sheehan and has earned $50,277 this year in Open limited age events. Sired by High Brow Cat and out of The Doctress Orders LTE $150,752, The Cat Doctress is a full sister to Ten Blade LTE $37,581, also bred and owned by Beechfork Ranch, and a top qualifier for the NCHA Derby Semi-Finals with 435 points. In addition, Sheehan qualified Beechfork-owned and bred Toytallic LTE $60,195, by Metallic Cat, for the Semi-Finals with a cumulative of 437 points (220 and 217), and was the only trainer to qualify with three Top 15 qualifiers (with 436 points or more).
Trained and shown by James Payne, Stylish Hailee $82,365 placed ninth in the NCHA Super Stakes and eleventh in the Breeders Invitational, and won three major futurities at three – the West Texas, the Southern, and the Cotton Stakes. Payne also qualified for the NCHA Derby Semi-Finals with a cumulative of 437 points on Summer Time Fun LTE $43,664, sired by Metallic Cat and owned by Ty Moore, Madill, Okla.