WILD SIX AND HER TRAINER

COURTESY OF AQHA.COM

UNDEFEATED WILD SIX PUTS TRAINER GILES IN FIRST ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY

August 28, 2007 – In only the second summer he has had a stable at Ruidoso Downs, trainer Wes Giles is in the two biggest races of his life. On Sunday, he will send out Gus the Greek in the $504,693 All American Derby (G1), and on Monday, he will saddle one of the year’s top 2-year-olds, the undefeated filly Wild Six, in the $1.9 million All American Futurity.


“It’s your goal when you go to the sale to hopefully make this race,” said Giles about the All American Futurity. He has done so with Wild Six, a smallish sorrel filly who Giles said “is almost too cute to be a racehorse.”


Formerly a leading trainer in the Intermountain region before relocating to New Mexico, Giles trains Wild Six for owners John Lee, Lincoln Sherwood and Herman Mineer of Arizona. The partners purchased the daughter of Treis Seis for $32,000 at the 2006 Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale. For Lee and Sherwood, Giles trains the Relagate (TB) gelding Gus the Greek, a $17,000 Ruidoso yearling purchase who is seeking his first stakes win in the All American Derby. Both horses will be ridden by another All American rookie, Tony Guymon.


Wild Six, who was bred by New Mexico’s MJ Farms of Dr. Janis Murray and her husband, Mac, has six victories – all in New Mexico – and has earned $459,903. On March 27, the filly won the West Texas Futurity (G1) at Sunland Park over a field that included the All American’s fastest qualifier, Heartswideopen. That victory gave Giles his first open Grade 1 win.


“When we won the West Texas, our goal was to shoot for the All American,” Giles said about the plans for Wild Six. “But when we came here, we decided we weren’t going to run in all three races.”


By all three races, Giles was referring to for Ruidoso’s three Grade 1 futurities for two-year-olds: Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American. Having a two-year-old who began racing in March remain in peak form to qualify to three summer futurities and be sharp enough to win them is asking a lot, and trainers generally tend to be a bit more conservative with their runners who are aiming at the All American, American Quarter Horse racing’s most famous race.

Following her West Texas win, Wild Six was entered in the May 25 trials to the Ruidoso, but was scratched after she flipped in the starting gate.


“When we had to scratch out of the trials, we thought, well, maybe it’s for the best,” Giles said. “Maybe everything worked out for our best interests. Maybe it taught her a little patience, too.”


Heartswideopen was the Ruidoso’s fastest qualifier and won the final in stakes-record time. She then also received some time off. She skipped the Rainbow trials on July 6 as her connections set their sights on the All American.


Meanwhile, Wild Six ran in the Rainbow trials, turned in the third-fastest qualifying time and won the final by a neck. She turned in the most dominating performance of the All American trials, winning the ninth of 18 heats by 3 ¼ lengths. Her time of :21.051 ranks second to Heartswideopen’s :20.921 – the all-time fastest qualifying time in the 49-year history of the All American – and sets up a Labor Day rematch between the two fastest fillies in New Mexico and perhaps anywhere. By Amy Owens.