Heartswideopen and Wild Six headline AAF trials

COURTESY OF STALLIONESEARCH.COM


Heartswideopen and Wild Six hope to qualify to the $2 Million All American Futurity(G1).
Photos by Bill Pitt, Jr.


Heartswideopen, Wild Six Head 18 All American Futurity Trials


RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 16, 2007—Ruidoso Futurity winner Heartswideopen and Rainbow Futurity winner Wild Six try for a showdown in the finals to the Grade 1, $2,000,000 All American Futurity when they head 177 entrants in the 18 All American Futurity trials on Thursday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

A near-record 10 hopefuls were supplemented to the All American Futurity at a cost of $50,000 each to their respective owners. The record is 11 supplemental nominees to the 2000 All American Futurity trials.

The purse for the All American Futurity is capped at $2 million and all funds above that amount are carried over to the next year’s All American Derby. Next year’s All American Derby could have the purse reach $1 million, making it the richest derby in 2008. The $1 million derby purse would make the 2008 running the richest running since Make Mine Cash won in 1983 when the All American Derby had a $1.3 million purse.

The 440-yard trials comprise the entire racing program that starts with a special 10 a.m. first post time. There will be a noon first post time on Friday and Saturday with the usual 1 p.m. first post time returning on Sunday afternoon. Friday’s program will be highlighted by the All American Derby trials expected to feature Rainbow Derby winner Separate Bet, All American Futurity winner No Secrets Here and Ruidoso Derby winner Remember Me Rose.

Javier and Manny Rodriguez’s Heartswideopen has been pointed at the All American Futurity by trainer Carl Draper, winner of the 2004 All American Futurity with DM Shicago. The daughter of Feature Mr Jess and two-time champion and champion producer Dashing Phoebe was an overwhelming winner of the Ruidoso Futurity in a stakes record :17.08 for 350 yards.

Draper then passed on the Rainbow Futurity to focus on the All American Futurity. She prepared for her All American Futurity trial with an excellent :11.98 work for 220 yards. She actually worked beyond the 220 yards to help maintain her fitness for her quarter-mile All American trial.

“The work got some air pumped in her and it helped get her body fit,” said Draper. “She did it pretty.”

Heartswideopen starts from the sixth post position in the seventh trial with regular rider Oscar Hernandez aboard.

While Heartswideopen was bypassing the Rainbow Futurity, Wild Six raced to her second Grade 1 futurity win and remained undefeated from five starts by winning the $625,000 Rainbow Futurity. The game Tres Seis filly from the Wes Giles stable fought to the neck victory in :19.42 for 400 yards.

Wild Six gained national prominence when she won the Grade 1, $266,000 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park on April 22 while 4-5 favorite Heartswideopen finished sixth, her only career defeat from five starts. Tony Guymon, the only jockey Wild Six has known, will be aboard with the second post position in the ninth trial.

A filly to watch in the All American trials is Rainbow Futurity fastest qualifier Jess A Classy Lassy, trained by Heath Taylor. The Mr Jess Perry filly made her second career start in the Rainbow Futurity trials and won by nearly three lengths in :19.432 for 400 yards, the quickest time from 18 trials.

She made her career debut at Remington Park and showed an affection for longer distances. “When we ran her at Remington, we were thinking about the Heritage Place Futurity,” said owner-breeder Ted Abrams. “She got in trouble and then closed so well that we changed our plan and started thinking about longer futurities, the Rainbow and the All American.”

In the Rainbow Futurity, Jess A Classy Lassy was respected at 5-2 odds, but finished sixth after a troubled start.

Jess A Classy Lassy has the eighth post position in the fourth trial with 4-time national champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr. up.

Trainer Taylor will be well represented with four of the 10 supplemental nominees. The connections of each of the supplemental nominees paid $50,000 to enter the All American Futurity trials.

The four Taylor-trained supplemental nominees are Coronas Leaving You, Swingin Jess, First Timber and Goodnews Gran.

Coronas Leaving you ran the fastest 350 yards ever by a juvenile at Delta Downs when he won the Firecracker Futurity in :17.38. The 1-1/2 length victory was the Corona Cartel colt's fourth win from four starts and his third straight daylight victory.

Swingin Jess was the top juvenile in Texas with Grade 1 wins in the Retama Park Futurity and the Manor Downs Futurity. The Mr Jess Perry colt is riding a three-race winning streak that includes those two futurity victories.

First Timber, an Oak Tree Special half-brother to last seasons Remington Park and Heritage Place Futurity winners, and Goodnews Gran, by Gran's Halo, each come off daylight maiden victories.

The other supplemental nominees are a Special Leader gelding, Decati who won the Bitterroot Futurity; Ed Burke Juvenile winner Stylish Jess BR, by Feature Mr Jess; the undefeated two-time futurity winning daughter of Shazoom, Shazooms Doll; Zia Futurity winner A Streak Regard and Zia Futurity third-place finisher Uncovered Regard, both by first year sire Chicks Regard; and Rebas Flash, a colt by first year sire First To Flash.

Paul Jones, the winner of the latest two runnings of the All American Futurity, entered 23 hopefuls in the All American Futurity trials to lead all the trainers. He will saddle supplemental nominee Stylish Jess BR.