RUNNNING BROOK GAL AFFIRMS TOP RANKING WITH DECISIVE SOUTHWEST JUVENILE VICTORY
HOBBS, NM — NOVEMBER 29, 2009 — Albert and Chad Richard’s homebred Runnning Brook Gal, the 11-10 favorite, affirmed her position atop the national 2-year-old quarter horse rankings with a decisive victory in the Grade 1, $305,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship on a blustery Sunday afternoon at Zia Park.
Runnning Brook Gal, under Ramon Sanchez, got a clean break and drew out to the professional one-half length win in :21.239 for the 440 yards. First Prize Leesa, a 10-1 outsider, finished second and second-choice First Klas Fred was another neck back for third in the field of 11 proven grade 1 futurity horses.
Runnning Brook Gal and First Klas Fred came into the Southwest Juvenile Championship as the top-two-ranked 2-year-olds in the AQHA/Horseplayer.com Weekly poll.
“It was just like the All American Futurity (won by Runnning Brook Gal),” Sanchez said. “She had a clear path at the start with no bumping and it was over.”
Trained by Paul Jones, Runnning Brook Gal started her career at Ruidoso Downs with the fastest qualifying time to the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity and has been a national force since that victory.
The BROOKSTONE BAY- sired filly went on at Ruidoso Downs last summer to finish second in the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity and become the leader in the national rankings with her dominating win in the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity on Labor Day. She has held that top position since her All American Futurity.
Runnning Brook Gal was the only horse to qualify for the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American futurities at Ruidoso Downs this summer.
In her prior start at Zia Park, she was second in the Hobbs America Futurity.
Runnning Brook Gal is the favorite to be named champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old filly based on her national ranking, two important Grade 1 wins and her victory over second-ranked First Klas Fred in the Southwest Juvenile Championship.
“She’s faced tough competition in every race since her first start and she’s been tough all year,” said co-owner Albert Richard. “It’s been super fun and exciting all year. It’s really been unreal. We haven’t been in racing that long compared to other people and we are so fortunate to have a horse like Runnning Brook Gal.”
Runnning Brook Gal has developed throughout her career. “She’s been sound and has really matured mentally,” said Lisa Saumell, who manages Jones’ New Mexico operation said. “She’s really grown up. She’s very quiet in the gate and has her head together. I expect her to be a great 3-year old.”
The Southwest Juvenile Championship was the final 2009 start for Runnning Brook Gal. She will be taken to Jones’ Tularosa, New Mexico training facility and will make her 2010 debut in the trials for the Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby. “She’ll just rest. She doesn’t need any surgery, unless she did something in this race,” Saumell said.
It was the second-straight win in the Southwest Juvenile Championship for Jones, Saumell and groom Ramon “Gato” Gonzalez. They combined to win the 2008 Southwest Juvenile Championship with Brenda Beautiful, who went on to be named 2008 champion 2-year-old filly.
Weetona Stanley and William Smith’s First Prize Leesa ran a strong race from the outside post position under Cody Jensen for second. The Heath Taylor-trained filly made her Zia Park debut in the Southwest Juvenile. Earlier this season she captured the grade 1 Remington Park Futurity.
Denis and Julie Schoenhofer’s third-place finisher First Klas Fred won the Ruidoso Futurity over Runnning Brook Gal, who had a troubled start. The Mike Joiner-trained gelding also prevailed over Runnning Brook Gal in the Grade 2 Hobbs America Futurity.
National champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr. rode the gelded son of first crop sire FREDRICKSBURG in the Southwest Juvenile Championship.
The complete order of finish in the Southwest Juvenile Championship was Runnning Brook Gal, First Prize Leesa, First Klas Fred, Shesa First Ratify, Here Kittykittykitty, Ragazzo, Winners Cartel, Mr Jess XI, Fredricka, Mr Celeb Jess and Effortless Jessie.
