It was business as usual for Sanctus LTE $58,232 on Sunday, July 12. Shown by Rodrigo Taboga for Scott Durham, Fort Worth, Tex., the Metallic Cat son scored 223 points to top the first go-round of the NCHA Derby during the 2020 NCHA Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular in Fort Worth, Tex. The top 103 horses, with 214.5 points or higher, will advance to the second go-round on Thursday, July 16.

So far in 2020, Sanctus has claimed three championships and one reserve championship, and ranks second among leading 2020 four-year-old money earners. He was Open champion of both the Cattlemen’s Derby and The Non-Pro Plus Open; Open Limited champion of the Abilene Spectacular; and reserve champion of the Bonanza.

Only Buonvino, shown by Beau Galyean for Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Tex. has earned more than Sanctus in 2020. A Metallic Cat gelding who scored 218.5 points on Saturday to advance to the second go-round of the Derby, Buonvino is the 2020 four-year-old leader with $82,896 earned in the finals of six major events.

Sanctus was bred by Isidro Sigala, who showed his dam, Sofie Rey LTE $148,557, as Amateur reserve champion of the 2011 NCHA Classic Challenge. In addition to Sanctus, Sofie Rey LTE $148,557, by Dual Rey, has produced seven other money earners, including Sanctus’s full sister Sofies Choice Cat LTE $59,735, Amateur reserve champion of the 2018 NCHA Futurity with Tom Williams.

Coureygeous LTE $100,744, winner of the 2019 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity and 2020 Non-Pro Bonanza under Kristen Galyean, posted 221 points, the third-highest score from the first go-round (Metallic Hill with 222 points on Saturday is second). Coureygous has been an Open finalist in four 2020 events with Wesley Galyean, who shows the Dual Rey daughter for the Glover/Galyean Partnership, Claremore, Okla. Coureygeous is out of 2005 NCHA Futurity Open champion Highbrow Supercat LTE $364,690, a leading dam of earners of over $1.4 million.

Jukebox Time LTE $13,213, owned and bred by McLamb Inc, Stephenville, Tex., and Rosa Del Pepto, owned by Stella Swanson, Midland, Tex., tied with 220.5 points, the go-round’s fourth highest score. Jukebox Time, sired by One Time Pepto and shown by Casey Green, was a semi-finalist in the NCHA Futurity, as well as a finalist in the 2020 Cattlemen’s Derby. Green also showed Im A Platinum Kitty, owned by Bobby Ray and Mary Jo Hawkins, Seguin, Tex., to score 219.5 points on Saturday. Rosa Del Pepto LTE $40,580, sired by One Time Pepto and shown by Zeb Corvin, was an NCHA Futurity Open and Open Limited finalist with Corvin.