GOVERNORS CUP FUTURITY QUALIFIERS

COURTESY OF STALLIONESEARCH.COM & LOS ALAMITOS.COM




My Buddie comes up the outside to beat
Magic Show Czech for the fastest clocking.
Photo by Scott Martinez


Governors Cup Battle Of Undefeated Set For July 28


LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA—A trio of undefeated sprinters will headline the $400,000 Governor's Cup final to be held on California Breeders Champions Night on Saturday, July 28.
The three perfect babies are fastest qualifier My Buddie, who once again looked like a million bucks when winning the second of six trials, second fastest qualifier Bikers Bono, the most experienced of the three spotless horses, and Ought To Be Rapid, who's been bumped in each of his starts, yet he's won both races.

There will be six geldings in the Governor's Cup field, three colts and a lone filly as the ninth fastest qualifier Air Traffic Controlr. The two colts are first trial winner Ever Fire Burns SA, owned by Brazilian Gianni Franco Samaja, and First Icy Morn.

It was a good night for Spencer Childers' stallion Bono Jazz, as he is the sire of the top two fastest qualifiers My Buddie and Bikers Bono. Hawkinson also sired two finalists in Hawk In The City and Ever Fire Burns SA.

EG High Desert Farms' Corona Czech gelding Magic Show Czech finished a head off fastest qualifier My Buddie for the third fastest time.

Ed Allred, who owns My Buddie, will have two other horses in the final field. Allred is part of an ownership group that campaigns First Icy Morn. The other members of this group include Smith, Cozby, Weston and Vessels. Allred is also the sole owner of the First Down Express gelding Really A First.

The Governor's Cup Futurity will be the richest race contested on California Breeders Champions Night, which is an all-stakes program for the top Quarter Horses sprinters bred in California. The evening will also feature the $170,000 Governor's Cup Derby, which trials will be contested on Saturday, the Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap and the Matron Stakes. The undercard races will offer its richest purses in the event's history this year.

Trial Recap

Trained by Mike Joiner, My Buddie overcame a huge deficit to Ed Burke Million Futurity finalist Magic Show Czech to win the second trial. Ridden by G.R. Carter, the son of Bono Jazz ran the final 220 yards in what is believed to be the fastest individual time ever recorded for that distance at Los Alamitos. While the official final 220-yard on the chart is :09.38, it is important to note that clocking begins from when Magic Show Czech, who had a length advantage over My Buddie with 220 yards to go, crosses the 1/8th pole and it stops the moment that My Buddie hits the wire victorious.

Since a length margin equals to about 15/100ths of a second at Los Alamitos, My Buddie's individual final 220-yard time calculates to an amazing time of :09.22. To put it in perspective, 2004 World Champion Be A Bono, who is also a son of Bono Jazz, has the previous fastest individual 220 yard time of :09.24 when he went wire to wire to win last year's 400-yard Spencer Childers Handicap. Be A Bono's final 220-yard time is listed on the Los Alamitos chart because he was on the lead the entire race. Carters Cartel, who set a new 350-yard track record of :17.17 when winning the Ed Burke Million Futurity, posted a final 220-yard clocking of :09.34. He, like Be A Bono, was always on the lead in the Ed Burke.

In his only other career start, My Buddie posted a 4-1/2-length victory on June 21. On that night, his final 220-yard clocking was :09.34. "That (was) the best effort by one of my first time starters in a long time," said Allred after his gelding's maiden win.

Surely Allred had to think just as highly of My Buddie's second effort as well.

Only one tick of the clock separated the two fastest qualifiers, as the Bono Jazz gelding Bikers Bono posted another terrific performance while improving to three wins in as many starts for trainer Charles Treece. With leading rider Rodrigo Aceves aboard, Bikers Bono, who was purchased for $15,000 at last year's Los Alamitos Equine Sale, won by a head while posting a final 220-yard clocking of :09.38.

Literally, an entire community of people from Orange County, California, owns the bay gelding. Jane Rosenberg, who campaigned multiple stakes finalist Thats A Gray Jazz in the late 1990s, spearheads this ownership group, which is comprised of 15 very enthusiastic horse lovers. Most of the group resides in the city of Orange and its surroundings cities.

"Bikers Bono is the best horse that I've ever owned," said Rosenberg, an accomplished professional golfer. "He's the first horse that I've ever had that won his first start. To see him win three in a row that's just amazing. I knew he was fast after his first workout."

What does Rosenberg think of her gelding's chances against a budding superstar like My Buddy? "I think it might be a toss up at this time as to which horse will do better in the final," she said. "Their times were not that much different. All the horses will be going for it all in the final."

The ownership group also includes Kelli Ellis, an accomplished interior designer. Ellis has been featured in the Discovery Home Channel/TLC's Clean Sweep, a show in which experts help homeowners transform their living spaces. Ellis can also be seen as the featured designer on HGTV's Takeover My Makeover.

"This is so much fun," said Ellis. "Every time we've come to the track we've been in the winner's circle. I asked daughters the other night why they were getting so fixed up and they told me, 'Mom, it's because we're going to be in the winner's circle.' The final is going to be a battle. It's going to be like Rocky Balboa facing Apollo Creed."

Linda Cannon cut her vacation short and drove 17 hours just to make it to Bikers Bono's race. "And it was worth it," said Cannon, the wife of a retired judge. "I can't explain how much fun I'm having right now. It's the best feeling in the world. We come with about 45 people and Bikers Bono makes us feel great every single time. It's been truly unbelievable."

Laurie Marine, a property manager, is not only enjoying Bikers Bono's victories but also what he has come to represent in her life.

"If you would have told me a year ago that an investment on this horse would leave to a lot of my social life revolving around the track I would have never believed it," she said. "Over the past 14 months, the fellowship that horse racing has provided for us has been one of the best part of this venture. A lot of us come out to Los Alamitos and eat breakfast at the track. We enjoy spending time with each other. I now have an entire different concept of the racetrack. I just can't tell you how exciting this is."

Michael Hannah, a postal officer from Long Beach, became a member of this ownership group through his friendship with the trainer. "I was at the Equine Sale and I had picked out some horses that I liked. I was talking to (Treece) and I asked him which horse he liked. He picked Bikers Bono," said Hannah, who has owned Thoroughbreds previously. "(Charles) said 'If we get him do you want in?' I've always wanted to have horse with him so I told him 'yes.' "

Hannah entered the winner's circle with a heavy heart, as his mother passed away on July 1 following an aneurysm. "I wanted her to come and watch Bikers Bono run but we couldn't make it happen. This win was for her."

Trained by Pat Visscher for Nancy Scane, Ought To Be Rapid lived up to his name in the third trial. With Juan Andrade aboard, the gelding won at odds of 2-1. He broke his maiden at 25-1 odds. The dam of Ought To Be Rapid is by the great old timer Merridoc, who prior to being the property of Legacy Ranch was owned by Fred Scane, the husband of owner, Nancy. Fred is the breeder of Ought To Be Rapid.

Trained by Felix Gonzalez, Ever Fire Burns SA won the first trial by a neck over Air Traffic Controlr and Freaky. The son of Hawkinson is out of the nice broodmare Reeds Evening Star.

"We bought her from Jaime Gomez," said Vince Genco, who manages Samaja's equine interests in the United States. "She had Aurora Star, who won a couple here. She was by Takin On The Cash. She also had Beau Brummel SA, who made it to three derbies at Los Alamitos. We have a Check Him Out yearling and embryo out of her and a Corona Cartel weanling. She's a good producer."

What does Genco think of having to take on three undefeated horses in the Governor's Cup final? "We'll see what (Ever Fire Burns SA) has got. It's going to be tough, but it's always tough. It's just nice to get in a race like this."

"Air Traffic Controlr ran a great race but our horse ran a little better," added trainer Felix Gonzalez.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com

Race: GOVERNORS CUP FUTURITY-RG1
Track: LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE
Trials: JULY 14, 2007
Final: JULY 29, 2007
Purse: $400,000-EST.
Age: 2-YEAR-OLDS BRED IN CALIFORNIA
Distance: 350 YARDS

Horse Sex Sire-Dam, Dam Sire Time Owner Breeder Trainer Jockey

My Buddie g. Bono Jazz--Female Friend, by Takin On The Cash :17.340 Edward C. Allred Edward C. Allred (CA) Michael W. Joiner G.R. Carter, Jr.

Bikers Bono g. Bono Jazz--Biker Babe, by Leaving Memories :17.350 Treece & Roseberg, Et Al Spender L. Childers Charles S. Treece Rodrigo Aceves

Magic Show Czech g. Corona Czech--Pure Magic (TB), by Magical Mile (TB) :17.360 EG High Desert Farms EG High Desert Farms (CA) Daniel G. Luna Carlos Bautista

Ought To Be Rapid g. Ought To Be First--Shes Everyones Dream, by Merridoc :17.490 Nancy Scane Fred G. Scane (CA) Patricia D. Visscher Juan Andrade

Hawk In The City c. Hawkinson--Cit Image, by Special Effort :17.495 Jaime A. Gonzalez EG High Desert Farms (CA) Jose Antonio Flores Juan Andrade

First Icy Morn c. First Down Dash--Icy Morn (TB), by Crowned Jewel (TB) :17.510 Allred, Cozby, Smith, Vessels, Et Al Vessels Stallion Farm, LLC/DM Cattle Co. (CA) Michael W. Joiner G.R. Carter, Jr.

Ever Fire Burns Sa c. Hawkinson--Reeds Evening Star, by Chicks Beduino :17.535 Gianni F. Samaja Gianni Franco Samaja (CA) Felix L. Gonzalez Carlos Bautista

Air Traffic Controlr f. Dash Thru Traffic--A One Girl Flight, by Strawfly Special :17.575 Double Bar S Ranch LLC Double Bar S Ranch LLC (CA) Donna McArthur Samuel Thompson

Azure Down There c. First Down Dash--Azures Cash, by Band Of Azure :17.580 Double Bar S Ranch LLC Double Bar S Ranch LLC (CA) Jaime H. Gomez Alejandro Luna

Really A First g. First Down Express--Really Rare, by Raise A Secret :17.625 Edward C. Allred Edward C. Allred (CA) Scott Willoughby Raul Ramirez, Jr.

Trial Notes: My Buddie won the second of five trials by a head over Magic Show Czech to post the fastest qualifying time.