Madison Smith of Weatherford, Tex., scored 218.5 on La Destella on Saturday, April 10 to break into the lead of the McAlister Assets 4-year-old Amateur go-round at the Kit Kat Sugar NCHA Super Stakes in Fort Worth. Three contestants on Saturday, Michelle Reichart on R Blue Cat, Lucchese Johnson on Ginger Spice and C.J. Pease on Phar Out, marked 218 on Saturday for the second high score, along with Vick Etheridge on Deputy Droopy on Friday.
Smith, the NCHA earner of $185,440, was a Limited Non-Pro finalist on La Destella LTE $11,943 earlier in the show. She also rode the mare to the Unlimited Amateur finals at the NCHA Futurity. She was a Limited Non-Pro finalist at last year’s NCHA Futurity on Catron County Line LTE $15,281.
Bred and owned by Beechfork Ranch, La Destella is by Purdy Boy Flash out of Peptos Fancy Jewel LTE $30,076. She is a five-eighths sister to Cromed Out Cat LTE $246,639, the High Brow Cat mare that Geoffrey Sheehan rode to third place in the Open Super Stakes in 2016. La Destella’s second dam, Bowmans Fancy Jewel, was a full sister to Bowmans Fancy LTE $257,203, the 1992 Super Stakes reserve champion under Paul Hansma.
Michelle Reichart of Frankton, Ind. is the NCHA earner of $230,889. She was previously an NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur finalist on home-bred R Blue Cat LTE $5,691. In 2019, she was a Limited Non-Pro finalist at the Super Stakes on The Heart Breyk Kid LTE $6,484. She was an NCHA Super Stakes Classic Unlimited Amateur finalist in 2016 on MK Smooth Runnin Cat LTE $133,467, and in 2013 on CD To The Max LTE $95,509.
R Blue Cat is by Once In A Blu Boon out of Cats Special 005 LTE $17,460, who also produced Highly Desired Cat LTE $36,797.
Lucchese Johnson of Cresson, Tex., is the NCHA earner of $272,541. She was a Limited Non-Pro finalist at the 2013 NCHA Super Stakes Classic on two horses, Yall Im Countin LTE $56,929 and McLintockk LTE $48,221. She made her first Super Stakes Amateur finals in 2010 on Harmoney LTE $13,642 at the age of 12. She followed up in the Unlimited Amateur finals in 2014 on Hummin A Melody LTE $53,504.
Her 2021 mount, Ginger Spice LTE $3,024, carried her to the Amateur finals at the Cattlemen’s Derby this spring. Ginger Spice was bred by Plantation Farms by One Time Pepto out of Cat Sheree LTE $253,379.
C.J. Pease of Kemp, Tex., is the NCHA earner of $8,406. He qualified for his first major finals in 2010 at the Fort Klamath Ranch Festival, riding Peptos Red Mouse LTE $22,164. Last year, he made the finals at the Waco Texas Futurity on Margareyta LTE $3,095.
His 2021 mount, Phar Out LTE $20,561, was bred by Kathleen Moore by Smooth As A Cat out of Shez Sinsational LTE $71,088, a Non-Pro Super Stakes finalist with Ty Moore in 2015. Ty Moore showed Phar Out to the Non-Pro finals in the NCHA Futurity and Abilene Spectacular before Pease bought the gelding.
Vick Etheridge and Deputy Droopy LTE $51,953 took the lead in the Intermediate Amateur division as well as sharing second in the Amateur ranks. Etheridge of Corinth, Miss., is the NCHA earner of $260,791. Etheridge was a Super Stakes Classic finalist in 2017 on Tommies Playgirl LTE $111,511 He was the $50,000 Amateur champion this spring at the NCHA Eastern Nationals, riding Cutting Commander LTE $109,917, a home-bred by Third Cutting out of Olena Peppy Command.
Deputy Droopy was bred by James and Nadine Payne by Once In A Blu Boon out of She Shot The Sheriff. James Payne showed the gelding in the Open finals of the West Texas and Southern Futurities last year. Vick Etheridge and his wife, Missy, have been finalists with him at NCHA Eastern Nationals, Arbuckle Mountain, and The Ike Derby since then.
The 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes continues through Saturday, April 17.