Six-year-old Gold From Home, shown by Jon Burgess for Hare Quarter Horses LLC, scored 221 points on Friday, April 3, to win the John Deere Division of the 2015 Lucas Oil Super Stakes Open Classic. The $5,171 winner’s check is the first earned by the WR This Cats Smart son in limited age competition.

MK Rey Girl, owned by Gale Force Quarter Horses and shown by Kevin Walden, claimed reserve with 218 points, while Red N Smooth took third with 216 points, under Justin White for Rocking W Ranch.

“This is my first win here and it’s awesome,” said Burgess, who won the 2012 Breeders Invitational Novice with Tassajara Magic, and earned his biggest paycheck with a fourth place-performance worth $78,683 on Chula Dual, in the 1998 NCHA Futurity.

“He’s one of those horses you dream about. You can call on him or you can slow him down. But when you say, ‘Let’s do it,’ he’ll give you everything he’s got and try his guts out.

“I got to ride him at three, and about a year ago, I got him back. It was a love story when I first had him and it’s a love story now, and I’d like to thank the Hares for giving me the opportunity to ride him.”

Gold From Home and Burgess earned 436.5 cumulative points in the go-rounds to tie with Red N Smooth for the fourth-highest cumulative score, and also scored 216.5 points in the Semi-Finals to qualify for Saturday’s Open Classic Finals.

The palomino stallion was bred by Hare Quarter Horses, Lipan, Tex., out of Haidas Little Shorty, by Haidas Little Pep, and is a three-quarter brother to Pounce, a High Brow Cat daughter and the earner of $213,769. In addition to Gold From Home, whose first foal crop arrived this year, Hare Quarter Horses also stands his full brother, Gold Wrush.

Gold From Home and Burgess currently lead the NCHA World Championship standings in the $15,000 Novice division.