Monday, December 27, 2010
Champion Noconi extended his winning streak to four with a neck victory in Sunday’s $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park (G1).
Ridden by Jacky Martin for owners R.D. Hubbard and John T.L. Jones Jr. and trainer Paul Jones, Noconi covered 400 yards in :19.131 to earn a 93 speed index. The $157,000 winner’s share of the purse increased his bankroll to $1,230,563 from 11 wins in 26 starts.
“He was good in the gates,” said Martin, who has ridden Noconi in all of the 5-year-old gelding’s last four races. “We moved him a little to get him ready for the start.
“Everything went exceptionally well,” he added. “He broke the best ever for him that I’ve seen. He was going so well, I just let him gallop on in the last 200 yards.”
Noconi is one of 97 stakes winners from 12 crops sired by Mr Jess Perry, the AQHA champion 2-year-old in 1994. Now 18, Mr Jess Perry has sired 832 starters and the earners of more than $35.1 million, and recent Champion of Champions (G1) winner Apollitical Jess represents his top earner. Mr Jess Perry is owned by a syndicate and stands at 6666 Ranch at Guthrie, Texas.
Noconi’s dam, My Dashing Lady, was the sport’s champion broodmare in 2008. Now 14, the Grade 1-winning daughter of two-time world champion Dash For Cash has produced five winners from six starters, including Brenda Beautiful, a half sister to Noconi who won the ’08 Southwest Juvenile Championship (G1) at Zia Park and was that season’s champion 2-year-old filly
Noconi’s second dam, Lady Signature, is an unraced 24-year-old mare by The Signature who has produced 13 winners from 16 starters, including two graded stakes winners in addition to My Dashing Lady – Western Heart, a First Down Dash gelding who won the 1996 Southern California Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos, and Sixy Lady, a filly by Streakin Six and winner of the 1991 Sunland Park Fall Futurity (G2)
Noconi traces back to his third dam, Lady Juno, a 1976 foal by the Bold Ruler (TB) stallion Master Hand (TB) who was the AQHA champion aged mare in 1980 and won that season’s Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos. Lady Juno foaled 10 winners from 15 starters, and she was a half sister to Life Styles, the winner of the $159,622 West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park.
Noconi was the AQHA champion 3-year-old gelding in 2008. His current win streak consists of all graded stakes, including the 440-yard, $150,000 Zia Park Championship (G1) on December 5, and the 400-yard, $55,090 Lovington Handicap (G2) at Zia Park on November 7.
In last year’s Championship at Sunland Park, Noconi finished fourth, one length behind eventual AQHA champion aged stallion First Moonflash.
“Last year, we felt like we needed to give him a break after this race,” said Jones. “We chose the New Mexico circuit for him this year, and it worked out good. He might need a rest after this win, and who knows, we might do the same with him again next year.”
King Brimmerton ran second and was followed by Rylees Boy, Special Highnoon, Time For A Cigar, One Diamond Kitty, Jess Dellaree, WRS Special Shoe, Stolis Winner and Jess A Runner.
King Brimmerton is a homebred 4-year-old gelding by champion Brimmerton racing for Bobby D. Cox, and he earned $70,000 to push his bankroll to $348,698. Campaigned in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, King Brimmerton has won six of 22 races, including the October 30, 400-yard B.F. Phillips Jr. Handicap (RG3) for Texas-breds at Lone Star Park.
Rylees Boy banked $32,000 to increased his earnings to $388,333 for his owner, Gerardo Ochoa. The 5-year-old bay gelding by Heza Motor Scooter has won 14 of 30 races, and earlier this year he assembled a four-race win streak that included the 440-yard, $112,410 Bank of America Sunland Challenge Championship (G1) on April 11.