Austin Shepard, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of over $8.1 million, holds the record for Augusta Open championship wins, with five in the Futurity and three in the 5/6 Classic. He claimed last year’s Futurity with 225 points on Bama Jelly LTE $149,005, by Bamacat, and on Sunday, January 19, he showed Bama Jelly to top the 2020 Augusta Futurity 5/6 Classic qualifying go round, with 222.5 points,.

In addition to Bama Jelly, bred and owned by Madalyn Colgrove, Boligee, Ala., Shepard also qualified for the finals with 221.5 points, the go-round’s third-highest score, riding CR Dualin Out Tough LTE $70,239, sired by Woody Be Tuff and owned by Julie Beasley, and with 221 points on Dual Reyish LTE $371,608, the 2017 NCHA Futurity champion, sired by Hottish and owned by Billy Wolf.

Metallica Plays LTE $19,442, shown by Trey Wilson, scored 222 points, to rank second in the Classic go-round. The 5-year-old Metallic Cat son, a half-brother to Copaspepto LTE $417,440 and Stylish Martini LTE $361,920, is owned by Melissa Spinella, McDonough, Ga. Wilson also scored 217 points riding 6-year-old Whisskers LTE $25,393, by Dual Rey, for Brittany Overstreet, and 215.5 points with 6-year-old Springtime Catt LTE $53,473, sired by Sophisticated Catt and owned by Ashlyn Miller.

Phil Rapp, cutting’s #2 all-time leading money earner with over $9.2 million, second only to Austin Shepard with four Augusta Futurity Open wins, scored 221 points in Monday’s go-round on both Dontt Happen Twice and Driven Miss Sallie. Six-year-old Dontt Happen Twice LTE $67,896, by Woody Be Tuff, was an Augusta Futurity 5/6 Classic Non-Pro finalist last year with Ray Baldwin. Five-year-old Driven Miss Sallie LTE $52,536, by Hydrive Cat, was bred by Ray Baldwin and is owned by Lori Gale, Conway, S.C.

The 2020 Augusta Futurity continues through Saturday, January 25.