2018 Lucas Oil NCHA Super Stakes – April 5, 2018 – Fort Worth, Tex.
Danny Jones, Ponoka, Alberta, blew off the lid on the first day of Super Stakes Classic Unlimited Amateur go-rounds with a score of 223 points on Play Miss Boonsmal, by Peptoboonsmal. Blake Heid, Fort Worth, Tex., marked 219 points, the second-highest score, on Catty Lil CD, by High Brow CD, and Joe Wood, Heber Springs, Ark., was third with 218.5 points aboard Olenas Dually Time, by One Time Pepto.
Jones, who placed sixth in the 2000 NCHA Super Stakes aboard Lenas Smart Twist, showed Play Miss Boonsmal to place fourth in the 2016 Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited. Play Miss Boonsmal LTE $136,688 and Jones won the 2017 Brazos Bash 5/6 Amateur Unlimited and the 2018 Cattlemen’s Derby 5/6 Amateur Unlimited. Jones also was a 2018 Cattlemen’s Derby 5/6 Non-Pro finalist (7th) aboard Bowmerang LTE $68,044, by High Brow Cat.
In 1995, Jones claimed his first major check in Fort Worth as a finalist (16th) in the NCHA Futurity Non-Pro riding Lenas Genuine Peppy, by Genuine Peppy. Tag Rice won the Futurity Non-Pro championship that year on Brigapep, and Linda Holmes was reserve champion with High Brows Nurse.
Blake Heid came into the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes after winning the NCHA Eastern Nationals $2,000 Limited Rider last month on Stylindipity, and placing (9th) in the Junior Youth aboard Zacks Spotlight, by CD Lights.
Heid, the NCHA earner of $34,069, was also a 2018 finalist in the Bonanza 5/6 Amateur with Catty Lil CD, by High Brow CD, as well as in the Abilene Spectacular 4-Year-Old Amateur and Amateur Unlimited on PRF Cats Value, by Hydrive Cat, who Heid showed as an Amateur finalist in the 2017 NCHA Futurity.
Joe Wood and 5-year-old Olenas Dually Time, by One Time Pepto, scored the 2018 Cattlemen’s Derby 5/6 Amateur Unlimited reserve championship, and Wood placed fifth in the 4-Year-Old Amateur finals of the same event on Souix Kitty Sue, by Cat Man Blue, who he also showed as a semi-finalist in the 2017 NCHA Futurity Amateur Unlimited.
Last year, Wood, the NCHA earner of $11,045, also showed WR Cat Proof Cat, by Cat Proof, as a finalist in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Amateur.
The NCHA Super Stakes and Super Stakes Classic continue through April 22. For daily live action and results go to nchacutting.com/events/triple-crown/superstakes