Apollitical Jess was named 2010 American Quarter Horse Association world champion racehorse on Wednesday, January 12, during an award ceremony in Oklahoma City.
The 3-year-old colt, bred and owned by Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga’s Rancho El Cabresto Inc., scored track record-setting wins in both the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and the Grade 1 Champion of Champions in 2010, and was also named the champion 3-year-old colt and champion 3-year-old.
Trained by Juan Aleman and ridden by Felipe Garcia and Eduardo Nicasio, Apollitical Jess, by Mr Jess Perry out of Apollitical Time, by Apollo TB, scored six wins from eight starts in 2010, and earned $1,066,011. He also finished second in the All American Derby.
Double Down Special, who defeated Apollitical Jess in the All American Derby, was named the champion 3-year-old gelding. Owned by Vanessa Bartoo, trained by John Stinebaugh, and ridden by Salvador Martinez and Jacky Martin, Double Down Special, sired by The Down Side and out of Pamper Me Special, by Special Effort, won five of six starts in 2010 and earned $1,147,067. Bred by Bob and Jerry Gaston, Double Down Special set a world record of :18.613 for 400 yards, while winning the West Texas Derby (G3), then won the Ruidoso Derby (G1), in addition to the All American Derby.
One-time claimer Pink Boots RM, owned by Isla Vista Ranch and sired by Walk Thru Fire and out of Furash Alert (TB), by Gold Alert, rose through the ranks to win four of six starts and earn $127,150, as champion 3-year-old filly. She won the Governor’s Cup Derby and was second by a neck against older mares in the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1). Bred by Jose Santos, Pink Boots RM was trained by Adan Farias and ridden by Rodrigo Aceves and Francisco Rubio.
Spit Curl Diva topped her impressive 4-year-old season in 2010 with championships honors as aged horse and aged mare. Owned by the Lepic-Morgan Partnership, Spit Curl Diva, by Spit Curl Jess out of Some Kinda Diva, by Some Dasher, won eight of 10 races at six tracks in six states, while earning $257,383. Trained and ridden by the wife-husband team of Jody and David Brown, Spit Curl Diva’s season was highlighted by six graded stakes wins, including the Refrigerator Handicap and the the Merial Distaff Challenge Championship. She also set four track records, from 250 to 400 yards.
With a perfect record in 2010, Gone To The Mountain, by Panther Mountain out of Lindys Bouquet, by Fast Lindy, earned championship honors for a second consecutive year, this time in the aged stallion category. Bred and owned by Clyde Woerner, last year Gone To The Mountain was the sport’s champion distance horse. This year, the 5-year-old stallion, trained by Wes Giles and ridden by Freddie Martinez, won all three of his starts, including the Sunland Distance Challenge and Master Salls Handicap, and earned $65,237.
Another repeat champion, Noconi, by Mr Jess Perry out of My Dashing Lady, by Dash For Cash, parlayed limited starts into the aged gelding championship.
Racing for breeders R.D. Hubbard and Johnny T.L. Jones, the 5-year-old gelding won four of five starts to earn $300,585. After losing an out in February, Noconi was rested until September, when he reeled off four straight victories, including the All American Gold Cup, the Zia Park Championship, and The Championship at Sunland Park.
Trained by Paul Jones and ridden by Cody Jensen and Jacky Martin, Noconi was also the 2008 champion 3-year-old gelding.
American Runaway, winner of the Ruidoso Futurity and second by a nose in the Remington Park, Rainbow and Texas Classic futurities was named 2010 champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt. Owned by Sammy and Johnny Martinez, and Bobby Cox, American Runaway, by Ocean Runaway out of Allamericandreamgirl, by Strawfly Special, won four of 10 starts in 2010 and earned $684,605. Bred in Utah by Lance Robinson, American Runaway was trained by Sammy Martinez and Paul Jones, and ridden by Larry Payne, Tad Leggett and Cody Jensen.
Racing exclusively at Los Alamitos, Flying Fig won three of seven starts and earned $715,986, on her way to becoming 2010 champion 2-year-old filly. A homebred for Legacy Ranch Inc., by Corona Cartel out of Tender Flyer, by Strawfly Special, Flying Fig finished less than second in all of her 2010 starts, and she was second in three $1 million-plus purse races: the $1,024,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity, the $1,185,450 Golden State Million Futurity, and the $1,949,700 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Trained by Denny Ekins, she was ridden by Alex Bautista and Ramon Sanchez.
Champion 2-year-old gelding JLS Mr Bigtime is owned by his breeder, JLS-Speed Horse Ranch Inc. Sired by Bigtime Favorite out of Psalmist, by Osceola Warrior, was second in the Lee Berwick Memorial Louisiana Bred Futurity, before finishing a narrow second in the All American Futurity. He returned to Louisiana to win the Louisiana QHBA Futurity and set two 400-yard track records at Evangeline Downs. Trained by Darrel Soileau, JLS Mr Bigtime was ridden by Gilbert Ortiz, Jacky Martin and Jarrod Deschamp.
In the champion horsemen categories, Bobby Cox is the champion owner for the second time. The Fort Worth, Texas resident raced champion American Runaway, in partnership, as well as the winners of 30 races in 216 starts and earners of $807,908, in his own name.
Dr. Ed Allred was awarded champion breeder for the second consecutive year and the 11th cumulative time. Allred, who owns Los Alamitos Race Course, is the sport’s all-time leading breeder and owner.
Paul Jones maintained his stronghold on the Blane Schvaneveldt champion trainer award for the ninth consecutive year. Jones sent out the earners of more than $4.3 million in 2010, including champions American Runaway and Noconi, as well as Grade 1 winners The Goodbye Kisser, Good Reason SA and Stylish Jess BR.
In an unprecedented comeback year, Jacky Martin returned to racing in June, after a four-year hiatus, with 93 wins in 363 starts and earnings of $3.2 million.
All the racing champions will be presented with trophies at the 2011 AQHA Convention, March 4-7 in Grapevine, Texas.