BRENDA BEAUTIFUL IMPRESSES IN HOBBS AMERICA FUTURITY TRIALS
HOBBS, NM—SEPTEMBER 27, 2008—R.D. Hubbard and Johnny T.L. Jones Jr.’s homebred Brenda Beautiful posted a 16-1 upset victory when she rolled to an easy fastest-qualifying score in the fifth of five trials to the Grade 2, $230,650 Hobbs America Futurity at Zia Park on Saturday afternoon.
The juveniles with the 10 fastest times from the trials qualified to race for the $110,712 first-place check in the October 12 finals.
Ridden by Kenny Muntz for trainer Paul Jones, Brenda Beautiful never left the trial outcome in doubt by bursting to the lead and then easily defeating 1-5 favorite Jess Significant by a length. The daughter of FEATURE MR JESS raced to the top-qualifying time of :19.186 for the 400 yards while Jess Significant has the second-fastest time of :19.353.
Brenda Beautiful, a ¾ sister to Grade 1, $1 million All American Derby winner Noconi, was winless in two starts this spring and was then turned out to mature.
“She is a small filly so we just turned her out to grow up,” said Jones’ assistant trainer Lisa Saumell. “After about a month it was decided to put her back in training, so she’s only been in training about a month and a half. “She ran a really good race. I think she may have gotten out there all by herself, looked around and acted a little green. She should run well in the finals and should make a really good three-year-old.”
The fastest-qualifying trial victory continues a hot streak for owner R.D. Hubbard and his wife Joan Dale. Horses they own won four stakes races over Labor Day weekend, headed by Noconi’s win over champion Heartswideopen in the All American Derby. Hubbard’s GOING WILD then won the $150,000 Breeders’ Cup Premiere Handicap on September 14 at Zia Park.
The Hubbard hot streak could continue next weekend at Lone Star Park near Dallas when his two-time Grade 1 winner KETEL WON, the 2007 champion aged horse, races in the Grade 1, $100,000 Refrigerator Handicap. La Feliz Montana Ranch’s Jess Significant was sent off as the 1-5 favorite on the strength of her very impressive record at Ruidoso Downs last summer. The filly from the Carl Draper stable won the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity and finished fifth as the high-placing filly in the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity.
“To beat a horse like Jess Significant is important. She’s a great filly,” Saumell said.
William and Mary Robertson's Double Feature Jess finished a neck of Mr Perrys Wine in the third trial and posted the nine fastest qualifying time.
The FEATURE MR JESS out of Dash To Me, by First Down Dash, was bred by William O. Dale. The lightly raced colt was making just his third career start. Trained by Ramon Ronquillo, he was ridden by Esgar Ramirez.
For the complete list of Hobbs America Futurity qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys click here.
