Sunday’s final day of horse racing at Sun Downs belonged to the family.
Whether it was Eagle B Gone’s rich bloodlines winning the Pot O’Gold Futurity, or Feature Miss Alibi winning for the Hadley family in the final stakes race, there was some family love being spread around the track.
To top off the good feelings, the Tri-City Horse Racing Association finished another meet in an upbeat mood.
“No horses got hurt, and no jockeys got hurt,” said Cliff Schellinger of the TCHRA. “That’s what I cared about the most.”
A final large crowd wagered a handle of $65,410 on Sunday.
“It’s been an excellent turnout,” said Nancy Sorick of the TCHRA. “Once again the fans came out to support us, and we’re looking forward to next year’s meet.”
But before the TCHRA can get to the next meet, it needed to finish the current one.
And it ended with two major races, including the meet’s signature race, the $22,850 Pot O’Gold Futurity.
Eagle B Gone wasn’t the fastest qualifier for the Pot O’Gold after the trials two weeks ago, and he was missing his rider. Nikeela Black, who qualified him in the trials, separated her shoulder, cracked her nose and had to wire her teeth shut after suffering a spill last Monday in Boise during a workout.
Eagle B Gone’s trainer, Hector Magallanes of Boardman, Ore., got Luis Gonzalez to come over from Emerald Downs to ride the horse.
But it was the horse who was the star on Sunday, blasting out of the gate and pulling away from the field for the victory. He covered the 300 yards in 15.78 seconds and finished three-fourths of a length ahead of runnerup La Jackye.
“(Eagle B Gone) is bred right,” said Magallanes. “His mom (Go Girl Gone) won the Distaff Challenge before. He’s coming from good breeding, so expect more from him.”
Magallanes will take his champion and run him next at the Far West Futurity in Grants Pass, then head to Los Alamitos later this year.
In the final stakes race, the $24,120 Sun Downs/AQHA Merial Distaff Challenge finals, 22-year-old rider Jordan Hadley rode 4-year-old Feature Miss Alibi to victory, covering the 400 yards in 19.82 seconds.
Hadley’s father, Sherman, is the horse’s owner and was present for the victory. He watched from a wheelchair.
“Five years ago my dad had three 800-pound bales of hay fall on him and he suffered a stroke,” said Jordan. “He was the trainer. Now my mom (Susan Hadley) is the trainer.”
Jordan was also helping with the family business in Ogden, Utah. He also did some training. Only in the last two years has he been a jockey.
And he knows his family’s horses, like Feature Miss Alibi.
“She is just a really gutsy horse,” he said. “Really honest horse.”
Ruben Camacho was named the meet’s top jockey for the first time in his career.
“Today’s horses have been great,” Camacho said with a smile. “But last week I fell down off a horse.”
Camacho has come a long ways from where he was breaking the 2-year-olds in Mexico City and Tijuana nine years ago, he said.
Don Young was named the trainer of the meet.
Trey Fecta lost $43.50, bringing the imaginary bankroll (that started the meet at $300) down to $49.70 for the meet.
Sunday’s results
FIRST — TB mdn, 3YO&Up, Purse $1,300, 4 furlongs: 7. Belle Chippendale 7.60, 6.20, 7.60. 5. Chica Caliente 2.80, 3.20. 6. Pursue the Moon 8.40. EX (7-5) 46.20, QU 23.10, TRI (7-5-6) 165.80. T -- NA.
SECOND — QH mdn, 3YO&Up, Purse $1,300, 350 yards: 4. Little Fools Cash 9.80, 5.40, 3.60. 8. Kevins Last Shot 7.60, 4.80. 9. See Sea Look 5.00. DD (7-4) 61.00, EX (4-8) 69.20, QU 83.70, TRI (4-8-9) 186.40. T – 18.09.
THIRD — TCHRA Futurity Consolation, 2YO, Purse $2,000, 300 yards: 2. Imafeline 8.20, 3.40, 2.80. 3. Reel Fast 2.40, 2.20. 4. Go Getter Back 2.80. EX (2-3) 10.60, QU 7.80, Superfecta (2-3-4-5) 22.90, TRI 52.40. T – 15.78.
FOURTH — TB clm $2500, 3YO&Up which have not won a race in 2013, Purse $1,500, 4 furlongs: .6. Notes of Freedom 7.20, 3.40, 2.40. 3. Blazethepaige 7.40, 3.80. 4. Fly Pole 3.20. EX (6-3) 43.00, QU 42.30, TRI (6-3-4) 60.60. T – NA.
FIFTH — QH alw, 3YO&Up, Purse $1,700, 350 yards: 5. Snip N Dale 3.60, 3.20, 3.00. 1. Shez Pretty Awesome 8.40, 5.00. 2. Unique Sneak 4.00. EX (5-1) 43.20, QU 32.70, TRI (5-1-2) 39.60. T – 17.56.
SIXTH — TB clm $2,000, 3YO&Up which have not won a race in 2013, Purse $1,500, 4 furlongs: 2. Here Comes Lucky 4.00, 2.40, 2.60. 5. Dee Rain 4.20, 3.40. 1. Lasting Influence 3.20. EX (2-5) 15.20, QU 14.40, Superfecta (2-5-1-3) 33.40, TRI 66.20. T – NA.
SEVENTH — Bill Henderson Memorial, QH alw, 3YO&Up, Purse $1,700, 770 yards: 6. Swiss Ace (TB) 8.80, 3.40, 3.00. 2. The Bien’s Gift (TB) 3.20, 2.80. 1. Sugar Kane Train (QH) 3.60. EX (6-2) 22.20, QU 7.80, TRI (6-2-1) 212.60. T – 41.15.
EIGHTH — Pot O’Gold Futurity, QH Futurity, 2YO nominated and qualified in time trials, Purse $22,850, 300 yards: 5. Eagle B Gone 20.00, 10.60, 4.00. 8. La Jackye 6.80, 3.60. 1. Avatarr 4.00. EX (5-8) 496.80, QU 357.00, TRI (5-8-1) 412.20. T – 15.78.
NINTH — Sun Downs Au Revoir Handicap, TB Handicap, 3YO&Up which have started at the 2013 Sun Downs meet, Purse $2,100, 61⁄5 furlongs: 3. Chaching Pete 4.40, 2.40, 2.80. 7. Buck’s Bro 2.40, 2.80. 2. Only Be Cause 3.80. EX (3-7) 8.80, QU 7.50, TRI (3-7-2) 60.00. T – NA..
TENTH — Sun Downs/AQHA Meriel Distaff Challenge finals, Purse $24,120, 400 yards: 7. Feature Miss Alibi 11.80, 2.60, 4.20. 6. The Streakin Clean 2.40, 3.00. 3. L Bar Snow Princes 3.40. DD (3-7) 38.20, EX (7-6) 20.00, QU 20.10, Superfecta (7-6-All-All) 21.20, TRI 220.00. T – 19.82.
Total handle — $65,412.
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