NCHA Futurity champion One Time Royalty, ridden for Matthews Cutting Horses by Lloyd Cox, and Stylish Martini, shown by Roger Wagner for Marvine Ranch, each earned a cumulative score of 436.5 points, from the XTO Energy Super Stakes go-rounds, to lead 72 contenders with 429.5 or above to Friday’s Semi-Finals.
Stylish Martini wrapped up her go-round performances with 220.5 points on Saturday.
One Time Royalty clinched his bid with 217.5 points yesterday.
Cox also posted Sunday’s high score of 220 points aboard Maximus Max, owned by Al Larsen. Curtis Bass and Taris Telesis, owned and trained by Marty Davis, marked 218 points, Sunday’s second-highest score.
Jaime Snider and Sly Playgirl, owned by Robert Borick, won the second go-round with 224 points and delivered a cumulative of 436 points.
One Time Royalty, from the first crop of Matthews Cutting Horse stallion One Time Pepto, has been a finalist with Cox in two events since his $250,000 NCHA Futurity win — the Abilene Spectacular and the Bonanza.
Stylish Martini, who earned $74,667 for fourth place in the NCHA Futurity, was also a finalist in the Abilene Spectacular.
Matthews Cutting Horses and Marvine Ranch also rank among the top owners from the go-rounds with Shorty Boonsmal and Nod N Smile Baby.
Roger Wagner showed Shorty Boonsmal, for Marvine Ranch, to earn 220 points in the first go-round and a cumulative of 433.5.
Todd Graham rode Nod N Smile Baby, for Matthews Cutting Horses, to mark 217 and 215.5
Newcomer Tate Bennett, riding his first cutting horse, Reyn Maker, the first horse that Bennett has trained and shown, was among the cumulative leaders, as well, with 216 and 216.5 points.
“I mainly buy yearlings and train them for the (2-year-old) Futurity Sale,” said Bennett, 27, who briefly worked for trainer Curtis Bass and now helps his father-in-law, Joe Perrin, run 2,500 to 5,000 head of cattle on wheat and grass, year-round near Hereford, Texas.
“This is the first one I bought and trained all the way through,” said Bennett. “I didn’t give much for him – he was really leggy and kind of wormy, but when I walked into his stall, I knew I wanted him. I’d never had that feeling about a horse before.
“I really liked his personality and, to me, that’s more important than the way they look. He’s always stayed the same — he’s smart and he tries hard.”