Monday, December 27, 2010
Jacky Martin rode sixth-fastest qualifier and 5-2 second choice Giorgino to a half-length win in the Sunland Park Winter Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park on Sunday.
Saddled by owner Jorge Haddad, Giorgino went 400 yards in :19.180 while posting a 92 speed index and his third stakes victory. The winner’s share of the $178,647 purse pushed his earnings to $197,952.
Giorgino was bred in Texas by Haddad, and the sorrel colt is one of 29 stakes winners from 478 starters sired by Apollo (TB), a stakes-winning 22-year-old son of the Lyphard (TB) stallion Falstaff (TB) whose 13 crops have earned more than $12.7 million and include champion and Grade 1 winners Apollitical Time and Old Habits. He stands for a $1,750 fee at Joneson Ranch at Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Giorgino is also one of six winners from 14 starters produced by Las Alamitos, a winning daughter of First Down Dash who ran second in the 1996 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos. Now 16, Las Alamitos has foaled two graded stakes winners, including Ragazzo, a colt by Shazoom who won this year’s Grade 3, $111,160 Manor Downs Derby and last year’s $1.107 Heritage Place Futurity (G1) at Remington Park.
Las Alamitos’ full brother, Holland Ease, won the 1992 Golden State Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos. Another half brother, Four Forty Blast, was the AQHA champion sophomore gelding in ’93.
All told, Giorgino has won six of 10 races, including the 350-yard, $113,502 TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity (RG2) at Sam Houston Race Park on June 5, and the 350-yard, $38,070 AQHA Delta Juvenile Challenge (G3) at Delta Downs on May 1.
Giorgino also was a finalist in the November 13, $1.036-million Texas Classic Futurity (G1) at Lone Star Park.
Docs Famous Dash, the fifth-fastest qualifier and 9-5 favorite, ran second. A 2-year-old Dash Ta Fame gelding racing for Cowboy Dentist FM LLC, Docs Famous Dash has earned $49,714 from two wins in six outs, and his stakes resume includes a third-place finish in the October 9, $51,465 Dash For Cash Juvenile Invitational Stakes at Lone Star Park.
Third-fastest qualifier Chanel Chic ran third and earned $19,651 for her owner, Rafter W Stables. The gray filly by all-time leading sire First Down Dash has won two of six races and has banked $40,236 while racing exclusively in New Mexico.
Fastest qualifier BF Sonic Boom, Paintyourownwagon, The Redd Zone, Fast Movin Vic, Dually Suburban, Cobrita, and Decadencia completed the order of finish.