sallyharrison.com You Got This Baby, sired by Jazarell Cat, owned by The Over Forty Ranch, Wichita, Tex., and shown by Cory Deel, scored 222 points on Monday to top the fifth and last day of Open first go-round competition at the 2019 NCHA Futurity. Blu Laney Bird, sired by Once In A Blu Boon, owned and bred by EE Ranches, Whitesboro, Tex., and shown by Guy Woods, posted 220.5 points, Monday’s second-highest score, while Kit Kat Sugar daughter Kittenish, the last horse of the day, scored 220 points with Cullen Chartier for owner Damiano Avigni, of Viadana, Italy.
Metallic Rey Mink, by Metallic Cat, shown to score 225 points under Gary Bellenfant on Friday, won the go-round for Los Jaboncillos Ranch, Premont, Tex; while 213.5 points was the cut-off for entry into the second go-round, which begins on Tuesday, November 26.
Cullen Chartier, showing Kittenish, was one of only two riders to advance to the second go-round with 220 points or more. Chartier also showed the Hottish colt Calientee, owned by Circle R Cutting Horses LLC, to score 222 points on Friday, November 22.
Zeb Corbin also advanced two entries – Tin Man, sired by Metallic Cat and owned by Stella Swanson, with 221.5 points on Sunday, and Rosa Del Pepto, sired by One Time Pepto and also owned by Swanson, with 220 points on Friday. Russ and Janet Westfall were the only other owners, other than Stella Swanson, who owned two of the top 23 qualifiers – Desires One And Only, by One Time Pepto, with 221 points under Brandon Westfall, on Sunday, and Sugarless, by Kit Kat Sugar, with 221 points under Russ Westfall, on Thursday.
From a total of 244 horses who advanced to the second go-round, only 23 earned scores of 220 points or more. Among the 23, Metallic Cat was the dominate sire with eight; Kit Kat Sugar was represented by three; and Hottish, One Time Pepto, and Once In A Blu Boon each by two.
Monday’s high-scoring horse, You Got This Baby, bred by The Over Forty Ranch, is a half-sister to Woodys Baby LTE $391,396, by Nitas Wood, as well as to Wood U N Me Baby LTE $173,733, also by Nitas Wood. The three siblings are out of You N Me Baby LTE $82,031, by Smart Mate.
Blu Laney Bird, Monday’s second-highest scoring horse, was bred by EE Ranches out of Catalaney, an NCHA money earner and producer, and a full sister to Cat Ichi LTE $238,691, 2004 NCHA Derby Open champion and a leading sire of earners of over $6 million.
Blu Laney Bird’s rider, Guy Woods, a 10-time NCHA Futurity Open finalist, is the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $2.7 million.
Monday’s third-highest scoring horse, Kittenish, is out of Sweet Lil Gal LTE $20,844, by Sweet Lil Pepto. Sweel Lil Gal is out of Playboys Fancy Gal, a three-quarter sister to Bowmans Fancy LTE $257,203 and Bowmans Fancy Jewel LTE $64,066.