Roger Wagner’s mounts were the ones to beat in the South Coast Open Futurity, Derby and Classic, on October 11 in Las Vegas. Altogether, Wagner, who was last year’s Suncoast Futurity champion and Classic reserve champion, earned nearly $90,000 and claimed three championships and two reserve titles.
“It was a pretty good day,” said Wagner, who won the Futurity and the Gelding Finals on CD Boonsmal, owned and bred by Jim Vangilder, Jackson, MO. Wagner, who trains out of Vangilder’s Rock Creek Ranch in Weatherford, TX, also claimed first and second in the Derby aboard Absolutely Stunning and Pet Squirrel, respectively, and was reserve in the Classic on Quintan Blue.
Wagner had tagged CD Boonsmal early on as a prospect for the small futurities. “He was just a nice horse, but not real impressive in the early stages,” said Wagner of the gelded son of CD Olena. “Getting him ready to show in the small futurities made him a little brighter and got him solid. He’s not a big physical horse, but everything he does is pretty correct and stylish. He moves real flat and smooth.”
CD Boonsmal won the second go-round at the Brazos Futurity in September, but lost a cow in the finals. He qualified for the South Coast Futurity with go-round scores of 219 and 211, and marked 218 in the finals. The homegrown CD Royal daughter Cee Dee Royal Tee, ridden by Phil Hanson for Frank and Bonnie Martin, was reserve with 217.5 points.
Wagner and owner Tommy Manion, Aubrey, TX, had high hopes for Absolutely Stunning last fall. But the Smart Little Lena daughter struggled with stifle problems through the NCHA Futurity and into the beginning of this year.
“I’ve had some good go-round scores on her off and on through the year, but we just hadn’t been able to get it together in the finals,” noted Wagner, who scored 225 on the mare to claim the Derby. “She’s always been a little bit fractious, and the fact that she was a little unsound late last year made it hard to work her as much as she needed. But she’s a beautiful moving horse, and she reads a cow good and is real quick to the stop.”
Pet Squirrel, the earner of over $170,000 and winner of last year’s Suncoast Open Futurity, scored 223 for reserve. The Playdox daughter is owned and ridden in non-pro competition by Jim Vangilder. Wagner also split ninth and tenth in the Derby riding Vangilder’s mare Guys Little Jewel, by Dualin Jewels.
Reys Dual Badger, by Dual Rey, shown by co-owner Darren Simpkins, scored 225 points to win the Open Classic; Quintan Blue, who Jim Vangilder sold last summer to Jon Winkelried, Short Hills, NJ, took reserve with 221.5.
David and Stacie McDavid’s CD Olena-sired gelding, DMAC Snoop Dog, recent winner of the Brazos Bash Open Derby under Gary Gonsalves, was the winner of the Open Derby Gelding division based on his score of 218.5, for sixth place, in the Derby Finals.