WILD SIX FAVORITE IN ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY

COURTESY OF STALLIONESEARCH.COM


Wild Six remains undefeated from five starts
with Rainbow Futurity win.
Photo by Bill Pitt, Jr.

Wild Six All American Favorite With Rainbow Futurity Victory



RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 22, 2007—Wild Six became the current favorite for the Grade 1, $2 million All American Futurity with a game victory in the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
Wild Six raced the 400 yards in :19.428 to remain undefeated from five career starts. She went off as the 6-5 favorite and defeated 10-1 longshot Possum Fust by a neck while Early Morning Bite was another head back for third. Wild Six picked up $312,500 for her effort to push her career earnings to $457,000.

“She was close early in the race and she has that little bit extra,” said winning rider Tony Guymon, who has ridden her to each of her wins.

The goal for Wild Six since she was purchased for $32,000 11 months ago in the Ruidoso Quarter Horse Yearling Sale has been the All American Futurity and she will now point to the All American Futurity trials on Aug. 16. The 10-fastest qualifiers from those trials qualify for the All American Futurity on Labor Day.

“We’ll see how she comes out of the race, but the All American has been the goal,” said trainer Wes Giles. “She was probably the shortest horse in the race, but she is awful good.”

“We love her,” said co-owner John Lee, who has kissed the filly’s rear end after the West Texas Futurity and the Rainbow Futurity. “We’ve been offered a lot of money for her, but we’d never sell her.

“The goal since day one when we bought her has been the All American Futurity. It’s all been a prep to this point, but a damn good prep.”

Lee owns the Tres Seis-sired filly with fellow Arizonans Lincoln Sherwood and Herman Mineer.

The three owners first realized they had a bona fide All American prospect when she used a late run down the outside of the Sunland Park track to win the West Texas Futurity by an expanding half length in an excellent :14.95 for the 300 yards.

Wild Six was scratched from the Ruidoso Futurity trials when she was fractious in the gate. “That was just one of those things. We schooled her in the gates after that, but I don’t really think we needed to,” said Giles, adding that she’s been the perfect pupil since her first day of training last fall.

Wild Six then won her 400-yard Rainbow Futurity trial by a half length in :19.478, the third-fastest qualifying time from 18 trials.

“All the credit goes to Wes and his crew,” said Guymon. “I just try to stay out of her way.”

Abelardo Flores’ homebred Possum Fust is also in top form coming into the All American Futurity trials. The Eddie Willis-trained Sweet First Down gelding was a close second in the Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park and won his Rainbow Futurity trial by two lengths.

Marcus Smith’s Early Morning Bite, an $80,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse yearling Sale purchase, qualified for the finals of the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity and won his Rainbow Futurity trial by two lengths for trainer James McArthur.

Following the Fishers Dash gelding under the wire were Brighton Beach, Keep Themusicplaying, Jess A Classy Lassy, Pragmatico and Fear This Feature. Shy Ann Jess and Three Past Six were scratched.