Bubble Wrapped Deal made her mark late in Monday’s first bunch of cattle, with 219 points under Curry Diehl. The score held as the high point of the day at the Borden Milk NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth.

Some Like It Hott and Wesley Galyean, who also performed in the first bunch, and Smart Moria Prince, with Boyd Rice in the fourth, each scored 218.5 points.

“She can trap a cow and pull it to her,” said Diehl of the Smart Little Lena daughter that he trained for his parents, Frank and Ora Diehl, Ruskin, FL.

“That’s about it with her — she loves a cow and likes her job.”

The Diehls bred Bubble Wrapped Deal out of Olena Peppy Command, who Cindy Love showed as a non-pro finalist in the 2001 NCHA Futurity.

“Mom never paid a breeding fee like that before, so when the baby came, she said that we needed to wrap her in bubble wrap so she didn’t get hurt. And that’s explained.

A former non-pro limited age event champion, Diehl also shows Very Special Diehl, by Color Me Smart out of Very Special Peppy, on Friday.

Some Like It Hott

Some Like It Hott and Wesley Galyean locked down on two cows for their 218.5- point performance, on Monday.

“She’s a little, bitty mare, but she can really move,” said Galyean of his Spots Hot daughter. “Then when she gets there, she lays on that hind end.

“The main thing with her is getting her to show some confidence for going forward.”

Galyean, who was a non-pro when he won the 2004 NCHA Open Futurity on Spots Hot, purchased Some Like It Hott from Wagonhound Land & Livestock for $35,000, at the 2008 NCHA Futurity Yearling Sale.

The mare’s dam is NCHA Open Futurity and Super Stakes finalist Mighty Fine Sue; her second dam is Meradas Little Sue, 3-time NCHA Open World Champion, earner of $734,122, and an all-time leading cutting horse producer.

Some Like It Hott is from the second crop of Spots Hot. Harley, also owned by Galyean and his wife, Kristen, and from Spots Hot’s limited first crop, was a finalist in the 2009 NCHA Open Futurity, as well as champion of the 2010 NCHA Derby Non-Pro and Limited Non-Pro divisions.

Smart Prince Moria

Just back from the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, where he won a record third consecutive World title in Senior Cutting aboard Sophisticated Catt, Boyd Rice put up a 218.5-point performance, yesterday, on Smart Prince Moria.

“Those cattle felt like a tough bunch, but I cut two perfect cows,” said Rice. “The horse has been good all year. He goes and cuts every time.”

Owned and bred by Ralph Gray, Argyle, TX, Smart Prince Moria, by High Brow Cat, is half-brother to Smart Kitty RG, reserve champion of the 2008 NCHA Open Futurity, and from the female family of top 20 all-time leading sire Shorty Lena.

Rice won the 2009 NCHA Super Stakes and Derby, as well as the 2010 NCHA Super Stakes Classic and Derby Classic Challenge on Third Cutting, owned by Carl and Shawnea Smith, Jacksboro, TX.

Today, in the third set, Rice shows The Dual, by Dual Rey, for Ernest Cannon, owner of renowned world champion Jae Bar Fletch. In January, Rice will show two Jae Bar Fletch clones for Cannon, at the Abilene Spectacular.

Playtime Legend

Despite the fact that Tony Piggott and Playtime Legend were strangers until Saturday, the pair had an advantage coming into the first go-round, where they scored 218 points.

“I worked her one time on two cows,” said Piggott, who was catchriding the One Time Pepto daughter for Paul Hansma and owner Debra Gerber, Santa Ynez, CA.

“But I worked for Paul for so long that I know his program. These horse sare trained to death and it’s just a matter of me stepping up there and cutting my cows. The horses kind of take care of the rest.”

Piggott won the 2009 NCHA Futurity on Rockin W for Walton’s Rockin W Ranch. Hansma is cutting’s No. 4 alltime leading open rider.

Playtime Legend, out of HR Playin Legend, was bred by Cowan Select Quarter Horses.

Mates Mr Sunette

Drawing first in yesterday’s fifth bunch turned into a strong ticket to the second go-round for Mates Mister Sunette and Jonathon Rogers, with a score of 217 points.

“He’s maybe the best one I’ve had ready in a long time,” said Rogers of the gelded son of Smart Mate that he trained for Robert and Carrie Tiemann.

“He’s very cow smart and athletic and he’s pretty consistent. I was confident and ready to show him.”