Pedro Ornelas, riding The Kwack Shack for Anderson Cattle Company, Victoria, Tex., scored 222 points on Wednesday to win the Derby Open Limited championship, of the Metallic Cat NCHA Summer Spectacular. Rodrigo Taboga was reserve champion with 220.5 points on Beau and Aslhey Galyean’s gelding The Dewd, and placed third with 218 points on Rocky Mountain Blues, owned by Selena Orchard Barbosa, Paso Robles, Calif.
Pedro Ornelas, the NCHA earner of $178,297, won the 2017 NCHA Futurity Open Limited and placed in the Open Finals showing Little Jo Cat LTE $126,569, who he had trained for Anderson Cattle Company. He also showed the High Brow Cat gelding to win the 2018 Abilene Spectacular Open Limited.
The Kwack Shack LTE $46,302, by Spots Hot, was bred by PJ Cutters and purchased by Ornelas for Anderson Cattle Company at the 2016 Western Bloodstock NCHA Futurity Sales. Ornelas had shown the gelding’s dam, Kwackin Cat to win the 2013 Western States Fall Futurity 5/6 Open Limited. Kwackin Cat, by High Brow Cat, is a full brother to Catting LTE $225,025 and to High Brow Kwackin LTE $154,134.
Ornelas also qualified The Kwack Shack for the NCHA Derby Open Semi-Finals, this Saturday, August 3.
Rodrigo Taboga, the NCHA earner of $69,956, showed The Dewd, bred by Alvin Fults and sired by Metallic Cat, as an NCHA Futurity Semi-Finalist and to place third in the 28-horse Futurity Open Limited Finals. Beau Galyean showed the gelding earlier this year as a finalist in the Ike Hamilton Open Futurity and the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity.
Taboga and The Dewd LTE $39,880, who is a full brother to Metallic Rebel LTE $411,837, the 2017 NCHA Open Horse of the Year, also qualified for the NCHA Derby Open Semi-Finals, on Saturday, August 3.
Taboga’s third-placed mount, Rocky Mountain Blues LTE $23,109, was reserve champion of the Ike Hamilton Futurity Open Limited and placed fourth in the Open Intermediate Finals under Christian Miller, earlier this year, won the Bonanza Open Limited and Open Novice. The Smooth As A Cat son, bred by Group J, is a full brother to Smooth Strategy LTE $129,737, and out of Diva N Denim, an unshown full sister to Boon A Little LTE $118,405, Absolutely Stunning LTE $106,787, and Wild Thing DNA $94,561, as well as a three-quarter brother to Im Countin Checks LTE $509,642.
In addition to Ornelas and Taboga, five other riders in the Derby Open Limited Finals, also qualified horses (seven) for the NCHA Derby Open Semi-Finals. Salvador Cabral and Ryan Moore each qualified two horses. Cabral shows his own horses, Maggic Mike LTE $83,540, by Metallic Cat, and Secreytariat LTE $52,872, by Sigala Rey. While Ryan Moore shows Pepsi Boon LTE $50,202, sired by Once In A Blu Boon and owned by Jerry and Luann Jeffries, Naylor, Mo., and Im Not Blu LTE $27,188, sired by Once In A Blu Boon and owned by Shadow B Ranch, Harrison, Ark.
The other Derby Open Limited finalists who also qualified for the Derby Semi-Finals are Greg Wright on Crown That Cat LTE $30,467, sired by Metallic Cat and owned by Star C Land & Cattle Co., Oklahoma City; Justin White on his own horse, SJR Kit D Vine LTE $5,584, sired by Kit Kat Sugar; and Scott Amos on Sugar N My Shayk LTE $27,039, sired by Kit Kat Sugar and owned by Lori Gale, Conway, S.C.
Three stallions sired 10 of the 17 NCHA Derby Open Limited finalists. Metallic Cat sired four; while Kit Kat Sugar and Once In A Blu Boon each sired three.