2018 Lucas Oil NCHA Super Stakes – April 15, 2018 – Fort Worth, Tex.

Michael Cooper, riding for Rose Valley Ranch, claimed both the individual high score and the cumulative high score on the first of two days of Open second go-round competition.

The gelding Cat About Houston, by Metallic Cat, earned 220.5 points to top Sunday’s competition. It was the third time and the third horse Cooper showed to mark 220 points or higher since the beginning of the Open go-rounds, on Thursday. At the end of Sunday’s competition, just seven horses, including Rose Valley’s three, had scored 220 or more in four days of Open go-rounds.

All three of Cooper’s mounts were also bred by Rose Valley Ranch, Weatherford, Tex., and are out of the same mare – Bet On Houston, by Peptoboonsmal. Cat About Houston, the NCHA earner of $49,190, was the 2017 NCHA Futurity Open Limited reserve champion with Nate Lansford, and was a 2018 Arbuckle Mountain Open Futurity finalist (4th), as well as an Ike Hamilton 4-Year-Old Open (13th finalist).

Judgement Day, a gelding by High Brow Cat and out of Bet On Houston, posted Sunday’s high cumulative of 440.5 points, with go-round scores of 222 and 218.5 points. Im Quintan Checks, by Im Countin Checks, and shown by John Sanislow for Circle Y Ranch, Millsap, Tex., had the second highest cumulative (222 and 218 for 440), while Cat About Houston and Cooper placed third with 438 (217.5 and 220.5).

Judgement Day, the NCHA earner of $49,905, was an NCHA Futurity Open finalist (16th) under Cooper, and also placed seventh in the Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Open.

On Monday, Cooper will show Pharrel, who scored 220 points in the first go-round. Sired by Metallic Cat out of Bet On Houston, Pharrel is the earner of $53,686. In addition to being a finalist with Cooper in three major 2018 limited age events, the red roan gelding carried Rose Valley Ranch owner Gary Rosenbach as a 2017 NCHA Futurity Amateur Unlimited finalist, and last Wednesday, April 11, to place third in the Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited Finals.

Sunday’s second highest score, following Cat About Houston’s 220.5 points, was 219 points posted by the Dual Rey son Merlott, under Garrett Hampton for Jose Sigala, Weatherford, Tex., and by CR Dualin Tuff, by Woody Be Tuff with Austin Shepard for Center Ranch. The NCHA earner of $47,993, CR Dualin Tuff was a 2017 NCHA Futurity Open finalist (12th) with Shepard, as well as a 2018 Bonanza Open finalist and Augusta Futurity Open finalist.

The NCHA Super Stakes first go-round concludes on Saturday, April 14, and the NCHA Super Stakes continues through April 22. For daily live action and results go to nchacutting.com/events/triple-crown/superstakes