Katie Rice of Centerville, Texas, and Miss Laureyna went to the herd next-to-last in the 14-horse Limited Non-Pro finals at the Lucas Oil NCHA Super Stakes on Friday and marked 220.5 for a two and a half point win.
Rice and Miss Laureyna, have also qualified for Saturday’s Non-Pro finals.
Miss Laureyna was bred by Center Ranch by Smart Royal Rey out of CR Hot Meow, a mare by Spots Hot out of Dees Cats Meow.
Dees Cats Meow, in turn, earned $134,000 and has produced earners of $187,000 including CR First Tuff, third-placed with Katie’s father-in-law, Boyd Rice, in the 2013 Open Super Stakes.
Rice and Miss Laureyna won the Limited Non-Pro at the Cattlemen’s Derby this spring, and were reserve champions in that class at Arbuckle Mountain. They also made the Non-Pro finals at Cattlemen’s.
This was Rice’s biggest win to date, earning her an estimated $8,654. Her biggest career paycheck was for more than $9,900 as reserve champion at the Tunica Classic on Lenas Star War.
Don Bell took the reserve championship with a 218 in the Lucas Oil Ltd Non-Pro Super Stakes, riding Catish.
Bred by Dottie St. Clair Hill, Catish is a gelding by High Brow Cat out of Peppys Stylish Lena, an earner of $176,000 that was a successful Non-Pro horse for Cole Rothwell.
Catish was an Open NCHA Futurity semi-finalist with Tom Dvorak, and picked up several Open checks with Beau Galyean at the Ike Hamilton Futurity. Bell rode the gelding to third in the Limited Non-Pro at Arbuckle Mountain.
Don Bell previously won the Limited Non-Pro at the 2012 NCHA Derby riding Thundercat.