Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sent to post at odds of nearly 10-1, Cold Cash 123 responded with a neck victory in Sunday’s $200,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship (G1) at Zia Park.
Cold Cash 123 covered 440 yards in :21.293, earning a career-best 98 speed index and first stakes win. Jose Montoya rode the homebred gelding by Oak Tree Special for owner T Bill Stables Inc.
“He had a great start, and about 200 yards away from there, he took off,” Montoya said. “He had it together today.”
Cold Cash 123 was coming off of a second-place finish to three-time graded stakes winner Giorgino in an October 23 Texas Classic Futurity (G1) trial at Lone Star Park.
“He’s always been a bad-luck horse,” said trainer C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath of Cold Cash 123. “He was totally wiped out in his first start, and then he had a bad start in his Texas Classic trial. He got away a lot better this time.”
Cold Cash 123 was bred in Michigan, and the gelding became the 15th stakes winner from four crops sired by Oak Tree Special, the AQHA world champion in 2003. A 10-year-old son of the Special Effort stallion Special Task, Oak Tree Special has sired 173 starters and the earners of more than $3.4 million, and he is a half brother to ’96 Sunland Park Fall Futurity (G1) runner-up Ryons Easy Oak. He is owned by Raul Rubalcava and stands at Jude and Regina Robicheaux’s Robicheaux Ranch at Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
Cold Cash 123 is the first starter produced by his dam, the 8-year-old Takin On The Cash mare Hot Cash 123. The gelding’s second dam, the Six Fols mare To Hot To Hug, ran third in the 1988 Michigan Derby at Mt. Pleasant Meadows, and she has foaled nine winners from 12 starters, two of whom are stakes winners – Hot Hugger, a gelding by Striking Bunny who won the ’93 Michigan Bred Futurity (RG3) at Mt. Pleasant Meadows, and Overpowering, a Striking Bunny gelding who won two futurities at Mt. Pleasant in 1992.
Another of To Hot To Hug’s starters, the Separatist filly Shesa Lady 123, ran third in the ’08 Hobbs America Futurity (G2) at Zia Park.
Cold Cash 123’s third dam, Tiny Lou Etta, was a winning daughter of Tiny’s Gay who produced Fanci Ending 123, a half sister to To Hot To Hug who won two stakes in 2005, including the $27,085 All American Congress Derby (G3) at Beulah Park in Ohio.
Cold Cash 123 traces back to his fourth dam, Lou Etta Deck, a daughter of the Three Chicks stallion Chick’s Etta Deck. The winner of the 1977 Michigan Futurity, Lou Etta Deck produced three stakes winners, including ’94 GLQHA Stallion Service Sale Futurity (RG3) winner Very Striking.
An earner of $161,294 from six starts, Cold Cash 123 has won three races, all at the 440 distance. His stakes resume includes a two-length victory in the September 6, $150,000 All American Juvenile Invitational Stakes at Ruidoso Downs.
The Goodbye Kisser ran second from post 1 and was followed by 9-10 favorite Prospect To The Top, Ocean Paradise, Royally Sandra, West Coast Hawk, Zoomandkicken, Natalias Got Moves, and Sixes Liaison.
The Goodbye Kisser earned $40,800 to push her bankroll to $243,158 for her owner, Marcelo Jorge. A bay daughter of all-time leading sire First Down Dash, The Goodbye Kisser has won five of seven races, including the October 2, $425,600 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and August 27, $40,410 AQHA Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge Stakes.
The Southwest Juvenile Stakes marked The Goodbye Kisser’s first start past 350 yards.
“I was more concerned about drawing (an inside post) than I was about shipping or the distance,” said Paul Jones, who trains The Goodbye Kisser. “She ran her rear off.”
Prospect To The Top was coming off of a 1 ½-length victory as the fastest qualifier in the $313,499 Hobbs America Futurity (G1) on October 10. A finalist in the September 6, $1.9-million All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs, the bay colt by Coronas Prospect has banked $235,280 from four wins in six outs for his owner, Joel Tavarez.