Corona Chick (pictured), a multiple race champion, record breaker, and winner of nearly $600,000, was AQHA Broodmare of the Year in 1997, having produced just two foals: All American Futurity winner Corona Cash and stakes-winning Corona Cartel, who was in his final season of racing.
But Corona Chick was just getting started. This year, the 18-year-old daughter of Chicks Beduino is represented by finalists in both Sunday’s $500,000 All American Derby and Monday’s $2 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. Valiant Hero is owned by the partnership of Henry and Mimi Brown, Homer Hill and Terry Bell. Captain Courage races for Burnett Ranches and Chad Hart.
Valiant Hero, by First Down Dash, topped the 2005 Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale for $500,000, and last year, Captain Courage, by Mr Jess Perry, topped the sale for $415,000. Both colts were bred by Julianna Hawn Holt, who owns the Cross Triangle Ranch near San Antonio, Texas.
“She’d get rid of me before she’d get rid of Corona Chick,” joked Holt’s husband, Peter, about his wife’s devotion to the mare. Holt is the majority owner of the 2007 NationalBasketball Association champion San Antonio Spurs.
Burnett Ranches, which stands Mr Jess Perry at its Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, became partners with Hart in the ownership of Captain Courage after the colt broke hismaiden by 3-1/4 lengths at Delta Downs. The Four Sixes’ interest in the colt was natural.
“I know the family extremely well and we breed a lot of Julianna’s mares every year,” said Four Sixes manager Glenn Blodgett DVM. In 2004, Corona Chick and Valiant Hero, then a foal at her side, were at the Four Sixes, where the mare was bred to Mr Jess Perry. Blodgett noted that Valiant Hero ranks among the most impressive foals he has ever seen.
“From a conformation standpoint, if he wasn’t the best, he scares the best to death,” Blodgett said. “There are maybe one or two others who’d be in that category.”
Blodgett said that Corona Chick, who was bred and raced by Robert Etchandy, is a well-conformed mare and great mother. “But the proof in the pudding is always the offspring,” he said. “She’s produced runners and in Corona Cartel’s case, she’s produced a major sire.”
Corona Cartel, this year’s current leading sire, has also made his own mark on this year’s All American Futurity and Derby. He is the sire of Futurity qualifier Coronas Fast Dash and Derby runner Ivory James, and is the broodmare sire of Futurity qualifier Libbys Feature. Henry Brown, co-owner of Valiant Hero, owns Corona Cash and bred Libbys Feature.
Corona Cartel’s younger half-brother Corona Caliente, is the sire of All American Futurity qualifier Greatful Heart, from his first crop of foals. Owned by Molly B.Morris and Mike Abraham, Corona Caliente, a $700,000 yearling purchase, stands at Double L Farm in Bosque, NM.Corona Cartel stands at the Lazy E Ranch, alongside Holland Ease and Corona Cartel’s 2005 All American Futurity-winning son, Teller Cartel.
Corona Chick’s dam, 23-year-old Sizzlin Lil, who was honored as the 2001 AQHA Broodmare of the Year, is a member of the broodmare band at Vessels Stallion Farm. Corona Chick was Sizzling Lil’s first foal.