BREEDERS FUTURITY BY THE NUMBERS AND BREEDING LINES

COURTESY OF LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE

THE BREEDERS FUTURITY BY THE NUMBERS


Two-time Grade 1 winner Carters Cartel is considered by many horsemen as the top 2-year-old in the nation. Just ask five-time AQHA Champion Trainer Paul Jones, who not too long ago referred to the son of Corona Cartel as the nation's fastest freshmen. His performance in the trials to the $484,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity did nothing to dispel that notion, as Carters Cartel finished as the fastest qualifier by 13/100ths of a second - or about a length - over second fastest qualifier Velvetins. Carters Cartel also showed the best quickness out of the gate, as he ran the opening 130 yards in 7.92, almost a neck faster than the next quickest horse in the trials - First Down Apolo.

The latter opened up a length advantage over his closest rival, but in the end he was only ahead of the runner-up by a half-length. Carters Cartel, who broke in at the start but was still 3/4 lengths ahead of his closest pursuer, came home flying with the fastest final 220 yards among the finalists of 9.35. It's hard to argue against Carters Cartel being the best in this field, however there's a chance that this juggernaut runner will not compete in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity final and will instead reemerge in the trials to the Golden State Million Futurity in two weeks. If that turns out to be the case, then this race is absolutely up for grabs. Consider this, only 8/100ths of a second separated the second fastest qualifier Velvetins from the 10th fastest qualifier Fishers Destiny. That amounts to only a half length difference. Let's look at what the clockings from Breeders trials tell us about this race:

PP Name Birthdate 1st 130 yds Last 220 yds Final Time

1. Velvetins May 8.00 9.40 17.40

2. Tailgunner Tom February 8.03 9.45 17.48

3. Royal Mystic Miracle April 7.98 9.49 17.47

4. Carters Cartel February 7.92 9.35 17.27

5. Fishers Destiny May 8.09 9.39 17.48

6. Ancient Ruler January 8.03 9.43 17.46

7. Daddy Dasher January 7.97 9.45 17.42

8. First Down Apolo February 7.95 9.49 17.44

9. Bikers Bono January 8.01 9.46 17.47

10. Fast Movin Girl February 7.97 9.49 17.46

THE START

Carters Cartel and First Down Apolo showed the best early speed in the trials but Fast Movin Girl also showed great speed in the trials. Making only her second career start, and first since running a troubled second in the trials to the Kindergarten Futurity, Fast Movin Girl had opening 130 yards of 7.97. Daddy Dasher, who also delivered a 7.97 opening figure, has to be the favorite to break on top because of his tremendous consistency. The next wave of runners should be Royal Mystic Miracle, Velvetins, Bikers Bono and Ancient Ruler with Tailgunner Tom and Fishers Destiny needing to show a little more early on than in the trials. Velvetins was born in May, which makes her along with Fishers Destiny (also a May foal) the youngest horses in this race. It's probably no coincidence that these horses have posted their best races in their most recent starts, as they've probably each matured with age.

THE FINISH

The time that really stands out is Fishers Destiny's 9.39. The Fishers Dash colt is a half-brother to sophomore sensation FDD Dynasty, so it figures that it's in his blood to run great in the final 220 yards of a race. Velvetins posted a final 220-yard clocking of 9.40 but it's noteworthy that she uses a blinker that nearly covers her entire right eye because of her tendency to drift out. She won her trial after drawing the far outside post. How will she handle racing from along the rail. Ancient Ruler, Daddy Dasher and Tailgunner Tom all finished with similar figures, so what they do early on might decide their fates in this race.

SUMMARY

If Carters Cartel does not run, then Daddy Dasher and First Down Apolo appear to have the edge to be the quickest horses out of the gate. Daddy Dasher, however, has shown the ability to sustain his early speed and he'll need to do just that as a cavalry of horses led by up-and-coming stars Velvetins, Ancient Ruler and especially Fishers Destiny will be out to get him. And then there's Bikers Bono, a horse whose trial clockings might not necessarily stand out, but he does know how to do the most important thing, which is win races. Outside of Carters Cartel, Bikers Bono has won the most races among the horses in this field, and he'll find a way to be right there in the end.



DID YOU KNOW?



Velvetins and Fast Movin Girl are the only two fillies that qualified to this year's $484,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. The history of fillies in this race is an interesting one. Fillies have won nine of 25 runnings of the futurity including the first three with Sweet Crystal (1982), Indigo Illusion (1983), and Liquorice and Lace (1984) and four of the first five with Band Of Pleasure also winning in 1986. The other winners are Deeachick, Smooth Movin Gal, Worth A Look, Sassy Smith and Valiantly. Despite the solid return that fillies have enjoyed in this futurity, a 2-year-old gal has not won since 2002.... Bono Jazz, Make It Anywhere, Hawkish, Finding Nemo, and Tac It Like A Man makes for an impressive list of colts to have won this race since 1998. Bono Jazz is represented by Bikers Bono in this year's running while Make It Anywhere is the sire of Velvetins.... Tac It Like A Man, last year's winner is out of Jumping Tac Flash, which makes him a half-brother to fastest qualifier Carters Cartel. What a great broodmare 1993 champion filly Jumping Tac Flash has become..... Jaime Gomez has saddled 10 of the last 16 futurity winners at Los Alamitos. His winners have been Higher Fire, Gold Nugget Rd, Vachetta, Checknbac, Tac It Like A Man, Jess You And I, and of course, Carters Cartel.



TRACK'S PCQHRA FUTURITY BREEDING LINES


VELVETINS, f. (Make It Anywhere--Velvet Meter, by Meter Me Gone). Dam is $90,000 Restricted Grade 2 stakes winner. Second dam is sister to Grade 1 stakes winner Firstdown Touchdown $189,000, Grade 2 stakes placed winner Our Honey Bunny $34,000, and half-sister to dams of stakes winner First Place Jewel $43,000 and Grade 2 stakes placed winner Jet Thru Traffic $37,000.



TAILGUNNER TOM, c. (Corona Cartel--Dash Free, by Victory Dash). Dam is $219,000 Grade 3 stakes winner and half-sister to stakes winner Ms Easy Truxton $13,000 (dam of stakes placed winner Genuine Smarts $52,000), Grade 1 stakes placed winner Bay Leader $16,000, and to dams of Grade 1 stakes winner Fightin Jane $195,000 and stakes placed winner Power Edge $47,000. 2nd dam is stakes placed winner Bobbi Big Wheel $62,000. $110,000 TQHA yearling.



ROYAL MYSTIC MIRACLE, g. (Royal Miracle Dip--Last Of A Royal Line, by Dash For Cash). Dam is $61,000 Grade 3 stakes winner and half-sister to stakes winner Extra Royal Misty $37,000. $9,000 Schvaneveldt/Andreini yearling repurchase




FISHERS DESTINY, c. (Fishers Dash--Dinastia Toll Brz, by Tolltac). Three-quarter brother to 2007 Grade 1 winner and 2006 Champion FDD Dynasty $1.1 Million. Dam is $192,000 Grade 1 stakes winner and sister to stakes placed winner Picasso Toll Brz $27,000. Family includes stakes winner Rebel Killoqua $101,000, stakes winner Ladies N Jens $84,000, stakes placed winner Reeking Havoc $81,000, stakes placed winner Miss Classyqua $108,000, stakes winner Special N Classy $43,000, etc. $78,000 Schvaneveldt/Andreini yearling.



ANCIENT RULER, g. (This Snow Is Royal--Streakin Millie, by Streakin Six). Dam is half-sister to stakes winner Dashing Millie $84,000 and Grade 3 stakes placed winner The Pharo $24,000. Family includes stakes placed winner Kiptys Saint $45,000, stakes winner Short Dash $159,000, etc.



DADDY DASHER, g. (TR Dasher--Moms, by Jazzing Hi). Half-brother to multiple stakes placed winner Mummy $33,000. Dam is half-sister to Restricted Grade 2 stakes placed winner Perfect Mom $46,000. Family of Grade 1 stakes winner Brotherly $305,000, stakes winner No Hens Here $111,000, etc.



FIRST DOWN APOLO, g. (First Down Dash--Tenacious Apollo, by Jonny Apollo). First in first tril by a half-length. Won allowance in prior and broke maiden prior to that effort. Dam is multiple stakes winner of $44,000. Tenacious Apollo is by Jonny Apollo, a sorrel horse that stood 15.2 hands. Jonny Apollo won twice in his career for modest race earnings of $18,588. He has sired more than 180 starters, 57% of those became winners for earnings of more than $1.1 million.



BIKERS BONO, g. (Bono Jazz--Biker Babe, by Leaving Memories). Dam is $18,000 winning half sister to multiple stakes winner Streakin Kilobyte $213,000. Third dam is a full sister to the dam of In The Curl $750,000, the source of Champions Ocean Runaway $1.6 Million, Wave Carver $1 Million, etc. $15,000 Los Alamitos Equine Sale yearling.



FAST MOVIN GIRL, f. (This Snow Is Royal--One Special Girl, by Special Effort). Sister to Grade 2 stakes winner Fast Movin Snow $208,000. Dam is $44,000 Stakes winner. Second dam is half-sister to stakes winner Moon Control $46,000, stakes winner Mr Bikini Moon $45,000, and to dam of Grade 2 stakes placed winner By A Deck $121,000 and Grade 1 stakes placed winner Disco Sheza $74,000. Family includes stakes winner Teasers Express $67,000. Fast Movin Girl is a $21,000 Ruidoso yearling.