Saturday, January 01, 2011
Quatro Menudos remained undefeated following his one-length victory in the $313,502 Shue Fly Stakes (RG1) for New Mexico-bred newly turned 3-year-olds at Sunland Park on Saturday.
Saddled by Hermenegildo “Poppy” Aldavaz for owners William McCarty, W.P. Wood, and SW Paving and Grading Inc., Quatro Menudos covered 400 yards in :18.979 while scoring his fourth win in as many starts. The $147,346 winner’s share of the purse increased the gray gelding’s earnings to $176,206.
“The start wasn’t too rough – I was pretty much clear, and I let him go to the outside where he was fine and comfortable,” said jockey Salvador Martinez, who has ridden Quatro Menudos in all of the gelding’s outs. “I think he’s an awesome horse.
“He did it really easy,” he added. “I haven’t asked him for much yet in his career.”
A homebred, Quatro Menudos became the second stakes winner from two crops sired by Furyofthewind. An 8-year-old son of the Holland Ease stallion Corona Cartel, Furyofthewind won the 2006 AQHA California Derby Challenge (G3) at Los Alamitos. He is a half brother to four graded stakes winners, including champions Heartswideopen and Special Phoebe, and he has sired 29 starters and the earners of more than $416,700, with Quatro Menudos representing his top earner to date.
Furyofthewind is owned by breeder Kirk Goodfellow and stands for a $2,000 fee at Bob Moore Farms at Norman, Oklahoma.
Quatro Menudo’s dam, the Dash Ta Fame mare Uno Menudo, won the 2004 Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs. Now 9, Uno Menudo is a half sister to Mas Frijoles, the runner-up to Quatro Menudos in this race.
Quatro Menudo’s third dam, the winning Rocket Wrangler mare I’m A Wrangler, produced nine winners from 10 starters, including Grade 1 winner Ima Ladys Alibi, Grade 2 winner Raise A Count, and stakes winner Priss On Across.
The fastest qualifier, Quatro Menudos was coming off of a two-length victory in the first of six Shue Fly trials on December 17. He has been favored in three of his four races, and none of his winning margins has been less than one length.
Mas Frijoles ran second and was followed by Six Gun Regard, Love Me Caliente, Hollywood Caliente, Running Miracle, Bedarinas Miracle RF, and Moro Moon. Sixth-fastest qualifier Might Be Southern and eighth-fastest qualifier See Mack The Knife were both scratched by the track veterinarian.
Also trained by Aldavaz for McCarty, Wood, and SW Paving and Grading Inc., Mas Frijoles has earned $79,050 from two wins in three starts. The homebred sorrel gelding was coming off of a 1 ¼-length victory in the fourth Shue Fly trial.
Six Gun Regard is a homebred bay gelding by Chicks Regard racing for KH Logax Inc. of Oro Valley, Arizona. Six Gun Regard has won one of 11 races and has banked $79,093, and he was a finalist in last year’s Zia (RG1), New Mexico Cup (RG2), and New Mexico State Fair Senor (RG3) futurities.