Handsome Jack Flash, trained by Juan Gonzalez and ridden by Jaime Leos, broke sharply and dueled all the way for a :21.166 victory, by a neck, in the $2.6 million G1 All American Quarter Horse Futurity on Labor Day, September 2, at Ruidoso Downs.
“It was my first All American ride and I was nervous before the race,” said Leos. “My main concern was getting away well. Once we got to the lead, he just kept giving me all he had.”
Reagal Eagle, trained by Eduardo Gonzalez, winning trainer Juan’s brother, was runnerup by a nose over Wagon Tales in the 440-yard dash, the richest race for two-year-olds of any breed in North America. Previously undefeated Especially Tres, the post time favorite and winner of her trial by 3 1/2 lengths, yielded for fourth by a neck.
Handsome Jack Flash earned $1.3 million for the win, his fourth in five starts, and now has a career total of $1,482,271. A gelded son of First Moonflash, out of a Mr Jess Perry daughter, he is owned by his breeder, Debra Laney, in partnership with Norma and Brenda Alvarez.
This is the second All American Futurity win for Gonzalez, 48, who has conditioned earners of $12.4 million, including 2003 All American Futurity winner By By JJ, and also saddled this year’s sixth-place finisher You N How Many More.
Feature Hero takes $2.8 million All American Derby
Feature Hero, a 24-1 longshot, claimed the richest win in Quarter Horse history on Sunday, September 1, in the $2.8 million G1 All American Derby. Wicked Courage, the 6-5 favorite and winner of both the Ruidoso Derby and the Rainbow Derby, finished seventh.
The win was the first for Feature Hero, trained by Eddie Willis and ridden by Jimmy Dean Brooks, since he took the Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby this past April. The gelded son of Valiant Hero is owned by Gary and Micah McKinney’s Reliance Ranch. The McKinneys founded Racing Free, a new program that rewards owners of racehorses who win races and are drug free, a national effort to promote drug-free racing.
Eddie Willis and Jimmy Dean Brooks also remained hot in Monday’s $85,000 All American Junvenile, when One Valiant Hero, by Valiant Hero out of a Mr Jess Perry daughter, raced to a 1 3/4-length win. One Valiant Hero is owned by Valeriano Racing Stables.