Luis Dearmas, Caracas, Venezuela, became the first South American to claim a major NCHA championship in Fort Worth, with his win aboard Star Smart Lena, in the Super Stakes Amateur.
“Sometimes opportunities present themselves,” said Dearmas, a soft commodities trader, who helped found an NCHA affiliate in his home country.
Dearmas scored 218 points for the win; Renee Lord and Playful Sansallyboon placed as reserve with 215.5 points. Star Smart Lena is one of three horses, all conditioned by trainer Skip Queen, that have carried Dearmas for championship wins this year. Dearmas also won the Augusta Amateur Classic on Chief Red Puff, and the Abilene Spectacular Amateur Futurity on Smooth Alley Cat, who Dearmas also rode to place 11th (tie) in the Super Stakes Amateur.
“She’s maybe one of the best horses that I’ve ever had,” said Dearmas of Star Smart Lena, by Starlights Gypsy. “She’s was sore after Abilene, so I haven’t shown her since then. I just worked her (for the first time) last week. I really have to thank my vet, Chris Ray, for taking care of her.”
Renee Lord, Granbury, TX, won the Cattlemen’s Derby Amateur division aboard Playful Sansallyboon, by Playdox, this year, and also placed in the Bonanza 4-Year-Old division and Arbuckle Mountain Derby.
“I’ve shown her six times this year and I’ve been in the money six times,” said Lord, whose husband, Gary Lord, won the 2004 NCHA Amateur Futurity with GR High Brow. Playful Sansallyboon, from the family of 2009 NCHA Futurity champion Rockin W, was trained by Casey Green.
Super Stakes Amateur Classic
The Amateur Classic was the first major aged event win for Gene “Buster” Quirk, but Playin At The Mall, aka Brutus, has been around the pen in Fort Worth, with four championship wins and 14 in-the-money finishes.
“I’ve been cutting for about 10 year and this is the first big aged event that I’ve won,” said Quirk, who scored 222 points for his title. “I’ve had quite a few horses over the years, but I’ve never had one quite like Brutus.”
Quirk, Denham Springs. LA, a healthcare services provider, purchased Playin In The Mall last year from James Hooper, who acquired the Playdox gelding from Jim Vangilder. It was nonpro rider Vangilder and trainer Roger Wagner, who rode Playin At The Mall to collect most of his $215,000 in earnings, although Austin Shepard, Quirk’s trainer, showed the gelding as champion of the 2010 Augusta Classic.
Taylor Carbo, 17, Plaquemine, LA, scored 217.5 points for reserve of the Amatuer Classic riding Lannies Freckles, by Mr Peppys Freckles.
“I guess I just had one of my better runs,” said Carbo, whose mount was the 2008 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity reserve champion with Hope Mitchell.