SPEED, SPEED AND MORE SPEED

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Heartswideopen and Oscar Hernandez in the Ruidoso Downs winner circle.
Photo Courtesy:
The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal By AMY OWENS

Speed is Heartswideopen’s Game In Monday’s All American Futurity


RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 29, 2007—When asked what makes Heartswideopen, the fastest qualifier to Monday’s Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity (G1), so fast, trainer Carl Draper listed the attributes of an ideal racehorse.

“She’s big, strong, likes to race, can race and is very smart,” he said.

Ridden by Oscar Hernandez, Heartswideopen has won five of her six races, her only loss coming when she had a troubled trip in the March 22 final of the Grade 1, $266,000 West Texas Futurity (G1) and finished sixth behind her undefeated All American rival, Wild Six. Heartswideopen was the fastest qualifier to both the 300-yard West Texas and the 350-yard, Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity. She won the Ruidoso final in June in a stakes-record :17.08.

Draper then skipped the Rainbow trials to have the filly in prime form for a run at the All American. On August 16, she won the seventh of 18 trials by 1-1/4 lengths in a time of :20.921, which not only is the fastest 440-yard qualifying time ever for the All American, but is the fastest time a filly or mare has ever recorded at the distance.

As a result, Heartswideopen is following in the footsteps of the best horse Draper has trained, DM Shicago, who raced in the 2004 All American. However, the gray gelding, who raced for breeder Don Moler and Draper’s wife, Fredda, was less accomplished at the same point in his career.

“With DM Shicago, going into the finals, I was just hoping I would light the board because he hadn’t won a futurity,” Draper said.

DM Shicago won the All American Futurity by three-quarters of a length at odds of 5-1 and was named the champion two-year-old gelding. He returned at three to become the first All American winner to sweep Ruidoso’s three Grade 1 derbies and was named the year’s World Champion,Champion three-year-old and Champion three-year-old gelding. Despite Heartswideopen’s accomplishments so far, Draper said it is too early to compare the two standouts.

“The thing with her is that she hasn’t done it yet,” he said, referring to his filly winning the All American Futurity. “He did it and came back as a three-year-old. Now at the end of her three-year-old year, then I can compare the two.”

Heartswideopen races for brothers Javier and Manny Rodriguez of Las Vegas, Nevada, who purchased her for $60,000 at last year’s Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale. Bred in Texas by Kirk M. Goodfellow, the nearly black daughter of Feature Mr Jess is a half sister to champion Special Phoebe. She is among the 19 foals produced by two-time champion and Ruidoso Downs’ stakes winner Dashing Phoebe, by Dash For Cash.

Draper, who also will saddle Run Perry Run in Sunday’s Grade 1, $504,000 All American Derby, met the Rodriguez brothers after his son, Dallas, a real estate agent in Ruidoso, sold them some property in the nearby Hondo Valley for their horse operation. After being broken in Mexico, Heartswideopen was sent to Draper last December. She had her first work in February at Sunland Park.

“First time I breezed her, I knew she was very fast,” said Draper, who has been training racehorses for 29 years. “She’s like a natural.”