Cattomatic LTE $34,327, under Phil Hanson, and Pharoah And James LTE $81,968, with Clint Allen, earned cumulative scores of 440 points yesterday from two NCHA Derby Open go-rounds, to top a qualifying field of 50 horses with 433.5 points or higher. Lou Lou Louise LTE $79,634 with 221.5 points under Matt Miller, won the second go round.
Cattomatic, one of the high-scoring horses in the first go-round, with 221 points, earned 219 in the second go-round. Pharoah And James, who tied Sir Long Legs, under Austin Shepard, with 223 points to win the first go-round, scored 216.5 points in the second go-round to earn a 439.5-point cumulative, which he shared with Metallic Smart Cat, shown by Matt Miller.
Miller was one of seven riders to qualify two horses for the Open Sem-Finals on Saturday, August 5. Lloyd Cox qualified with three horses (with a total of 1308 points). The other dual-qualified riders, in addition to Miller (877 points), include Tarin Rice (876); Austin Shepard (875.5); Jesse Lennox (873); Wesley Galyean (872.5); Russ Westfall (872); and Lee Francois (871).
Lou Lou Louise, shown by Matt Miller for Lannie Louise Mecom, Avondale, Colo., placed ninth in the NCHA Futurity with Miller and was a finalist in the NCHA Super Stakes and the Ike Hamilton Futurity. The Dual Smart Rey daughter is out of Miss Woody Two Shoes LTE $136,250, reserve champion of the 2004 Augusta Futurity and fourth-placed in the 2003 NCHA Futurity with Lloyd Cox. Miss Woody Two Shoe, by High Brow Cat and out of Miss Echo Wood LTE $57,186, is a full sister to Woodys Wildest Cat LTE $341,155, as well as three other performers with individual earnings of $100,000 or more, and half-sister to two other earners of over $100,000.
Reysin Kittens LTE $71,521, shown by Jaime Snider for Frank and Bonnie Martin, Las Vegas, Nev., earned the second-highest score of 221 points in the second go-round and a cumulative score of 438.5 points. The Dual Rey gelding won the PCCHA Derby and the PCCHA Derby Open Gelding and Abilene Spectacular Open Novice with Snider and was the Breeders Invitational Non-Pro Senior champion with Bonnie Martin. Reysin Kittens, by Dual Rey, was raised by the Martins out of Kittens LTE $270,700, dam of eight money earners, including Kittens N The King $103,923.