Three-year-old Chickaroos Firefox, shown by Morgan Cromer and bred and owned by Latigo Ranch, Los Olivos, Calif., earned $30,000 for his 223-point win over Slithering Spoon, with 218 points, in the Open Futurity. Slithering Spoon, by Hes A Peptospoonful, earned $24,000 under Clint Allen, for owners David and Stacie McDavid, Forth Worth, Tex.
Fancy Hughes, winner of the Idaho and Brazos Bash Futurities, claimed third with 217 points. The Thomas E Hughes daughter, shown by Kenny Platt, is owned by Reed and Sherry McClymont, Holdrege, NC.
This was the third PCCHA Futurity championship for Cromer, who won in 2011 aboard Faye Reys Sis, and also in 2008, with Bearly Tuf Taz. In addition to Chickaroos Firefox, Cromer also showed The Whole Cat, sired by Cats Merada and owned by Leslie Day, in this year’s Futurity Finals.
Chickaroos Firefox is by Hick Chicaroo, sire of six NCHA money earners, and out of TF Smartlittle Linda, by Smart Little Lena. TF Smartlittle Linda earned over $135,000 under West Coast trainer Scott Weis, who also showed Hick Chicaroo to earn over $200,000, for breeder/owners Jim and Joanne Carollo, Atascadaro, Calif.
Weis was also a Cutting Stakes finalist on Saturday with CD Super Dually-sired CD Skipper, owned and bred by Michael Douglas, Los Angeles, Calif.
Joanne Carollo, is a three-time Snaffle Bit Futurity champion, who won the 1999 edition aboard Roosters Chicaroo, the dam of Hick Chicaroo.
Bred by Capps Radio Ranch, Highbrow Time was an NCHA Futurity Semi-Finalist and has placed as an open finalist in five major 2014 events, including the NCHA Derby and Breeders Invitational.
Highbrow Time’s sire, NCHA Futurity Champion and Horse of the Year High Brow CD, realized $2 million in offspring earnings just prior to the PCCHA Futurity. In addition, Highbrow Time’s PCCHA accomplishments boosted High Brow CD’s 4-year-old offspring record to an unprecedented 65 championships and reserves.
One Time Soon, dam of Highbrow Time, is a leading producer of 17 NCHA money earners, including leading sire One Time Pepto. The 25-year-old Smart Little Lena daughter owned by Circle Y Ranch, the home of Im Countin Checks, a leading sire in 2014, who had three offspring in the 12-horse PCCHA Cutting Stakes finals, including Count Me Smooth and Countin on Stella, both shown by PCCHA Futurity winner Morgan Cromer.
Adan Banuelos also placed fifth in the Cutting Stakes aboard Smart Time Pepto 10, sired by One Time Pepto and owned by G&A Performance Horses, Tioga, Tex.