Mike Wood, who showed Peeptos Cat and Little Jackson Cat as champion and reserve champion, respectively, in Sunday’s $25,000 Novice Finals, scored another one-two punch in Monday’s $5,000 Novice Finals, with 226 points on Hesa Belle Cat and 223 points on Dos Cats.
Hesa Belle Cat LTE $175,712, owned by Jacque Accomazzo, Tolleson, Ariz., came into the 27-horse $5,000 Novice Finals off of a 213.5-point finish under Roper Curtiss, catching for Wood, in the $25,000 Novice Finals. The 8-year-old gelding, sired by High Brow Cat and bred by River Bend Ranch, won last year’s NCHA $5,000 Novice World Finals with Wood, and ranked #1 in the division’s World Championship standings. As a 4-year-old, Hesa Belle Cat placed fifth in the NCHA Derby and earned a first-place check as Open Gelding champion.
Dos Cats LTE $4,577, was bred by Charles Burger and is owned by Janice Eaton, Peachland, British Columbia. The 7-year-old High Brow CD daughter placed in Sunday’s $25,000 Novice Finals with 213 points under catch-rider Roper Curtiss.
Janice Eaton, the NCHA earner of $322,815, ranked second in the 2017 NCHA $25,000 Novice-Non-Pro standings with Smooth As I Can, who she showed to placed third in the 2017 NCHA Scottsdale Nationals $5,000 Novice Non-Pro Finals. Eaton was also reserve champion of the 2017 NCHA Scottsdale Nationals riding Scootin Solano.
Tassa Smart Rey II scored 220 points on Monday to earn third-place money under Scott Amos, for owner Pamela Schaeffer, New Castle, Colo. Bred by James Eakin and sired by Dual Smart Rey, 8-year-old Tassa Smart Rey II won the 2015 Western States Fall Futurity with Amos, and was reserve champion with him in the 2017 Utah Futurity 5/6 Open Classic, as well.
Pamela Shaeffer, the NCHA earner of $146,521, showed Royal Rey Play in 2016 as a finalist in the NCHA Western Nationals Non-Pro division. In 2017, she also showed Royal Rey Play to place tenth in the NCHA Denver Nationals $25,000 Novice Non-Pro Finals, and eighth in the Non-Pro aboard Diamonds And Aces.
In addition to Peeptos Cat and Little Jackson Cat, Mike Wood, an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider with over $2 million in earnings, scored 216.5 points in the $5,000 Novice Finals on Smart Uni Brow, owned by Gerald Dorros.
Scott Amos, the NCHA earner of $912,383, , also showed Hershay Kiss and Sugar N My Shayk, both owned by Lori Gale, in the $5,000 Novice Finals.
Wood and Amos will also be on board Tuesday for the NCHA Transwest Western Nationals, presented by 6666 Ranch, Open Finals. Wood will be riding Peeptos Cat, Little Jackson Cat, and Candy Girl, while Amos will be aboard Cornrey and Boon Wiser.