Reyzin The Cash joined elite company Friday night when he and Gary Gonsalves won the NCHA Classic Challenge with a 229 at the NCHA Summer Spectacular presented by Great American Insurance in Fort Worth, Texas. He joins Hall of Fame Horses Shakin Flo and Third Cutting as the only NCHA Derby/Classic Challenge winners in successive years since the 5-year-old and 6-year-old classes merged in 1995.
Reyzin The Cash is a 5-year-old son of Dual Rey out of Spookys Cash, bred and owned by Iron Rose Ranch of Carbondale, Colorado.
Top qualifier John Mitchell and CR Tuff Lucy marked 228 to lead the first set.
“I thought his run was outstanding,” said Gonsalves, who drew fourth in the second set. “I really thought there’s the winner right there.
“I just wanted to get showed, to have a clean run and do my job, and leave it to (the judges). We had a good draw and cut some good cows. Anything can happen, and it happened the way we wanted it to.”
Gonsalves rode Reyzin The Cash’s dam, Spookys Cash, an earner of $284,000 and an Open finalist in the NCHA Futurity, Super Stakes, Super Stakes Classic, and Classic Challenge. This latest win puts Spookys Cash over half a million in produce earnings.
“His mother was a low-moving horse like him,” Gonsalves said. “She was gritty, and I think that’s where he gets his grit from. They both have a big heart.”
Reyzin The Cash earned an estimated $51,259 for the win, including $25,000 for the winner sponsored by Faith Mountain Ranch.
“I think I’ll give them a big kiss,” Gonsalves said. “It’s awesome that they did that.”
Reyzin The Cash won last year’s NCHA Derby, Pacific Coast Derby, NCHA Super Stakes Novice, and this year’s Arbuckle Mountain Classic. He’s now earned more than $210,000.
Reserve champion CR Tuff Lucy was bred by Center Ranch and is owned by Glade Knight’s Slate River Ranch. The 6-year-old by Woody Be Tuff out of Lucindas Catolena has now earned more than $275,000.
Tarin Rice showed her to fourth in the NCHA Futurity and the reserve championship in last year’s NCHA Derby.
Mitchell was reserve champion with her in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic this spring, and has also been a finalist at the Abilene Spectacular, Cattlemen’s Derby and Arbuckle Mountain.
