JEH Stallion ILLEGAL RUNAWAY Sires Winner Of Saturday's $1 Million Texas Classic Futurity (Gr. 1)
To date this year, 50% of America's Grade 1 Quarter Horse races of a million dollars or more have been won by horses sired by JEH Stallions.
Illegal Memories by JEH Stallion ILLEGAL RUNAWAY won the Grade 1 $1,069,297 Texas Classic Futurity on Saturday, and yesterday he was voted Lone Star Park's Horse of the Meeting and Champion 2-Year-Old Male for the recently concluded 20007 Fall Meeting of Champions for American Quarter Horses. Lone Star Park is the host of the Texas Classic Futurity. Illegal Memories, with Roy Baldillez in the saddle, ran 400 yards in :19.645 - the fourth fastest time in 15 editions of Texas' richest horse race. He paid $5.20 to win as the 8-5 favorite in the field of 10 two-year-old Quarter Horses. "Sure enough, he showed his potential tonight and we're all very proud," declared winning trainer Doug McMullen. "I'm just grateful to be a part of this horse." Earlier in the meeting, Illegal Memories, a $5,500 purchase by owners Tim Lange and Charlie Forbes, finished second to Rock Solid Jess in the Grade 1 Dash For Cash Futurity. He also was the fastest qualifier to both futurities. The $475,837 winner's share of the purse boosted Illegal Memories' earnings to $577,916, including $553,493 at Lone Star this season.
The adventurous juvenile gelding had a history of shying from the photo finish light beam at the wire, but Illegal Memories was professional as could be Saturday . . . almost. The Texas-bred gelded son out of the Leaving Memories mare Good Ole Memories, collected his first stakes victory with a determined effort, despite drifting out late in the race.
