Sir Long Legs, ridden by Austin Shepard, and Pharoah And James, with Clint Allen, tied with 223 points on Sunday, July 30 to top all NCHA Derby Open first go-round contenders. One hundred and forty-three horses with 213.5 points and higher advanced to Monday’s second go-round.
Sir Long Legs LTE $214,682, by High Brow Cat, is owned by Lew Hall, Lakeland, Fla., who purchased him for $90,000, at the 2014 Western Bloodstock NCHA Futurity Sales. Two years later, under Austin Shepard, the sorrel colt earned $195,407, as reserve champion of the 2016 NCHA Futurity. Since the Futurity, Sir Long Legs and Shepard have placed in the finals of the Augusta Futurity and the Ike Hamilton Futurity, and earned money in the semi-finals of the NCHA Super Stakes and the Breeders Invitational.
Bred by Michelle Cannon, Waxahachie, Tex., Sir Long Legs is out of Lil Lena Long Legs LTE $189,672, and a full brother to Cat Belue LTE $189,189, as well as half-brother to Two Time Dual LTE $123,189, who on Friday, was reserve champion of the 2017 NCHA Classic Challenge Unlimited Amateur with Jimmy Baros.
Austin Shepard, an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider and earner of $6.9 million, won the 2009 NCHA Classic Challenge on Thomas E Hughes LTE $393,043, and the 2007 NCHA Futurity and 2008 NCHA Super Stakes on High Brow CD LTE $502,202.
Shepard also scored 219.5 points on Sunday to qualify for the NCHA Derby Open second go-round on Tap This LTE $44,369, by Metallic Cat, owned by Joel and Jayne Colgrove, Boligee, Ala.
Pharoah And James LTE $81,968, owned and bred by David and Stacie McDavid, Fort Worth, Tex., earned his first paycheck as an NCHA Futurity Open semi-finalist under Clint Allen. Since then, Allen and the gelded son of Hickorys Indian Pep have been finalists in nine major events, including the NCHA Super Stakes, and the Bonanza, where they placed third.
Out of Wise Little Miss LTE $72,567, by Wise Play, Pharoah And James is a full brother to DMAC Wise Guy LTE $73,451, also bred and owned by the McDavids, who own the sire Hickory Indian Pep. In 2016, Stacie McDavid showed DMAC Wise Guy to placed second in the NCHA Derby Non-Pro Gelding division, and to win the NCHA Derby Non-Pro Senior title.
Clint Allen, an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider and earner of $4.5 million, won the 2009 NCHA Derby and NCHA Super Stakes on Wood I Never LTE $356,137. He was also reserve champion of the 2006 NCHA Futurity on Hydrive Cat LTE $410,627.
In addition to Pharoah And James, Allen also qualified for the second go-round of NCHA Derby competition with 218 points on Hashtag Cow LTE $6,269, and 217 points on DMAC Piccolo Pete LTE $72,598, both also owned by David and Stacie McDavid.