Heartswideopen-AAF

Heartswideopen Fights To Win All American Futurity At Ruidoso Downs



Heartswideopen pickus up $1,000,000 at the finish line of the All American Futurity(G1).
Photo by Bill Pitt, Jr.RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—SEPTEMBER 3, 2007—Javier and Manny Rodriguez’s Heartswideopen won the showdown with the previously undefeated Wild Six in the Grade 1, $2 million All American Futurity, but it wasn’t Wild Six who pressured Heartswideopen to the victory.
Under a stick-switching ride under Oscar Hernandez, Heartswideopen caught 20-1 longshot SF Royal Bank in the final 50 yards to win by a neck. It was another half-length back to third-place finisher Captain Courage.

“I’m relieved,” said Heartswideopen’s trainer Carl Draper. “She had to come from out of it and I was worried when she broke out. But then I saw her kick in and I stopped worrying because I know how far she can run.”

Wild Six finished a non-threatening sixth after winning each of her first six starts, including the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity and the Grade 1, $266,000 West Texas Futurity. “(The race) didn’t go our way today,” said jockey Tony Guymon, riding in his first All American. “It was a clean race. She just … I don’t know, I don’t have the explanation right now. It wasn’t our day today, and it was the other filly’s day.”

Ruidoso Futurity winner Heartswideopen, under Oscar Hernandez, raced from the outside post position in the eight-horse field, with Wild Six starting from the seven hole. The early leaders — Libbys Feature and Greatful Heart —raced on the inside of the track with SF Royal Bank pulling along side halfway though the race. SF Royal Bank took the lead and then Heartswideopen, who was racing near the outside rail, got up in the final 50 yards for her second Grade 1 victory.

“She broke well and then she went out (towards the outside rail),” jockey Oscar Hernandez said after his first All American Futurity victory. “Even though she went out, I knew she would drift in near the grandstand. That’s when I switched sticks (to the left hand).”

Heartswideopen raced the 440-yards in :20.997. She ran the fastest 440 yards ever by a filly or mare and the all-time fastest quarter mile by a filly or mare when she won her trial in :20.921.

It was the second All American Futurity victory in four years for Heartswideopen’s trainer Carl Draper and ended a bid for a record three-straight All American Futurity victories for SF Royal Bank’s trainer Paul Jones. Draper won the 2004 All American Futurity with DM Shicago, who went on to sweep the three Grade 1 derbies at Ruidoso Downs to be named 2005 world champion. Five-time defending national training champion Jones won the 2005 running with Teller Cartel and last year’s edition with No Secrets Here, who set the stakes record :20.88.

A $60,000 yearling purchase in the 2006 Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale, Heartswideopen has been brilliant since breaking her maiden in her career debut in March at Sunland Park. She broke her maiden in :15.21 for 300 yards, the quickest maiden-race time of the Sunland Park season. She bettered that time and posted the fastest-qualifying time to the West Texas Futurity when she won her 300-yard trial in :15.12.

The $1 million first-place check pushed Heartswideopen’s earnings to $1,282,690.

The only blemish of her record came when she finished sixth in the West Texas Futurity, as the 4-5 favorite, behind Wild Six. (Ironically, that result was exactly reversed when Heartswideopen won the All American Futurity and Wild Six finished sixth.)

A daughter of Feature Mr Jess and 2-time champion Dashing Phoebe, Heartswideopen bounced back when she set the fastest-qualifying time of:17.33 for the 350-yard Ruidoso Futurity and then won the $500,000 finals in a stakes record :17.08 while winning by a length and a quarter.

Draper then passed the Rainbow Futurity to point his filly at the All American Futurity and gave up the opportunity to earn the $4-million All American Triple Crown Bonus that goes to the connections of any horse who can sweep the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American Futurities.

Runner-up SF Royal Bank, a Royal Quick Dash colt with Freddie Martinez up, ran the best race of his 4-race career to finish the strong second. “We just about got it. He ran a hell of a race,” Jones said. “We were the 18-1 longshot and to come out there and to just about win — she (Heartswideopen) caught us at the last jump. To run the race he ran, we really got him to step up to the plate today.”

Martinez added: “It was a perfect race. We had the best, cleanest break we could have had. I got outrun by a good mare.”

Third-place finisher Captain Courage lived up to his sale-topping $415,000 purchase price at last year’s Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale with his third-place finish for owners Chad Hart and Burnett Ranches.

“My horse was just phenomenal,” said 4-time national riding champion G.R. Carter Jr. “He was really on his toes and I was really expecting him to run a big race the way he was acting.

“He broke really good, and I was right there with Heartswideopen and Freddie’s horse (SF Royal Bank) the first 100 yards and my horse just gave it all to me.”

Captain Courage, a son of champion Mr Jess Perry and champion/broodmare of the year Corona Chick, also ran his best race in the All American Futurity for trainer Heath Taylor. “Any time you’re in this race, you want to win, but I thought the horse ran a tremendous race,” Taylor said. “He broke well, got away good. You have to take your hats off (to Heartswideopen). She’s one of the fastest fillies that’s probably ever run. We wanted to win, but we got a super, super race.”

The complete order of finish was Heartswideopen, SF Royal Bank, Captain Courage, Greatful Heart, Libbys Feature, Wild Six, Coronas Fast Dash and Strong Hope. The injured Royal Holland Line and Sure I Fly were scratched.

In the $150,000 All American Juvenile, Gene White and Wayne Metcalfe’s White Or Wrong pulled away to win the race for juveniles who did not qualify for the All American finals. The Sleepy Gilbreath-trained filly raced the 440-yards in :21.35 to break her maiden in her fourth start. The Mr Eye Opener filly was a close second in her previous two starts.

Jess Ought To Flash finished second, but was disqualified and placed last in the 6-horse field. That disqualification moved Possum Fust up to third and Red Storm Cat to third.

Monday’s closing-day card was presented to a crowd approaching 20,000 and $1,525,254 was wagered on the 12-race program, including $583,467 on the All American Futurity.


All American Futurity (G1)
$1,900,000, Ruidoso Downs, Sep 03, 2 year-old, 440 yards
1. Heartswideopen, br. f. 2, by Feature Mr Jess--Dashing Phoebe, by Dash for Cash, Bred by Kirk M Goodfellow (TX). Owner-Javier C. Rodriguez. Trainer-Carl W. Draper. Jockey-Oscar Hernandez.
2. Sf Royal Bank, gr. c. 2, by Royal Quick Dash--Shake the Bank, by Bully Bullion, Bred by Hector Roldan (TX). Owner-Salome Gallegos. Trainer-Paul C. Jones. Jockey-Freddie L. Martinez.
3. Captain Courage, b. c. 2, by Mr Jess Perry--Corona Chick, by Chicks Beduino, Bred by Julianna Hawn Holt (CA). Owner- Chad Hart & Burnett Ranch. Trainer-M. Heath Taylor. Jockey-G. R. Carter, Jr.
Margins: nk, ½, 1¼
Value to winner: $1,000,000 2nd $285,000 3rd $137,750
Time: 20.997
Track: Fast

Courtesy of www.stallionesearch.com

Way to go HEARTSWIDEOPEN!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! To all of her connections!!!

I heard the owners were offered $2.Million for her before the All American Futurity ran and they turned it down. Boy, that is alot of money to say "NO" to. But, they did win $1. Million and that's a pretty nice piece of change, rite???

That mare could be one of the fastest fillies of all time after watching her weave all over the track and still run faster than the derby with no tailwind. It will be fun to see what she does in the next few months. I wonder if they will ship her to CA.

She's jet propelled that's for sure. I don't think she can get into the Golden State or the $2 million unless she was nominated by November of 06. Maybe she could get in to the Dash for Cash or the Texas Classic at Lone Star. Or maybe they'll decide to rest her for next year's derbies. I sure would like to see her run again this year.

If anybody missed the race or wants to watch it again, the JEH website is running the replay which is nice of them.

Hey Tracy,
The following was taken from stallionesearch's story about HEARTSWIDEOPEN winning the All American Futurity.

"Heartswideopen raced the 440-yards in :20.997. She ran the fastest 440 yards ever by a filly or mare and the all-time fastest quarter mile by a filly or mare when she won her trial in :20.921."

So, you are correct in your thinking - she is the fastest filly/mare ever at 440 yards.

WOW - that is one heck of a filly!!!!

She's just flat out amazing!!!!

So - here is a question of questions for everyone:
Do you think they will get an embryo or two out of her next spring before the derby season??? OR do you think they will wait until she has finished racing????

Oh the temptations! AND - who would you breed a kick butt little (big) filly like her to???

Lisa,

If i was them i think i would wait and let her mature before i bred her.

I would breed a filly like that to Corona Cartel, Separatist or if you wanted to get away from the Chicks line i would look at Oak Tree Special.

Andy

Heartswideopen is paid up in the 2 million out here at Los Alamitos. We should know in the next week or so whether she will for sure be making the trip. But last I heard she is coming out west....

Andy -
I'd wait too, but thats because I'm me... I just think it would be easier on her physically...when you start messing with their hormones and then try to put them back in race training it can get messy...

I'm still thinking about stallions and which ones I'd like to see on her... It takes me a while to decide...guess I get a little overly analytical sometimes...

The embryo question is an interesting one...makes me think about Si Puede sometimes...I loved that blasted filly...the risks of racing are high sometimes!

Bobbey Phillips wrote:

Hey Tracy,
The following was taken from stallionesearch's story about HEARTSWIDEOPEN winning the All American Futurity.

"Heartswideopen raced the 440-yards in :20.997. She ran the fastest 440 yards ever by a filly or mare and the all-time fastest quarter mile by a filly or mare when she won her trial in :20.921."

So, you are correct in your thinking - she is the fastest filly/mare ever at 440 yards.

Yeah Bobbey you are correct. I saw she did that. I just think that even when she leaves Ruidoso she is going to be fast, fast. I would love to see her have a chance to prove she is the fastest mare we have ever seen race.

What does everybody think? Is she the fastest filly ever?

She certainly appears to be until another filly takes the limelight but I really don't think that will happen anytime soon. I think she's fabulous.

She's the fastest filley I've ever seen. Its so tough to run that far that fast especially for a two year old. There were some really good horses in there and she was way the best.

My dad says Charger Bar is the best mare ever, but that was before my time. I can compare her with ones like Corona Cash and AB What A Runner and right now I'd say she's faster than them. I guess time will tell.

Oh Hey Justin: Your dad is absolutely right. As far as I'm concerned she's the best there ever was. The only one who even comes close is up in the air. Charger Bar won every race there was to win except the All Americans, made $495,437 from 1970 to 1974 which would amount to several million in this day and time. 1971-Champion 3 yo Filly, Champion Mare, World Champion; 1972-Champion Mare and Champion Aged Mare, Superior Race Horse; 1973 & 1974-Champion mare and Champion Aged Mare. 2001-inducted into the AQHA Racing Hall of Fame. Then she produced 14 babies, 12 of which raced and won $626,076. Leading earner was Blushing By, $249,809, by Blushing Bug whose dam Sweet Blush also produced Leaving Memories. Charger Bar's One Generation Produce Record from AQHA totals 24 pages. I'm tempted to spend the money and get the 5 generation report which will probably take a ream of paper. Doc Allred owned her for quite awhile I think and she's buried in the infield at Los Alamitos where she won most of her races.