A Michigan-bred will fill a spot in the starting gate in both the All-American Futurity and All-American Derby this weekend at Ruidoso Downs.
Cold Cash 123 will compete in the $1,316,760 All-American Derby on Sunday, September 4, while Mr Ease 123 will run in the estimated $2.4 million All-American Futurity on Monday, September 5.
Both horses are owned by Walter and Carolyn Bay’s T-Bill Stables and trained by Sleepy Gilbreath.
Below are a pair of press releases from the American Quarter Horse Association outlining each qualifier.
All-American Futurity
TENTH FASTEST QUALIFIER: MR EASE 123
Brown gelding, Holland Ease-Barbs Beduino 123 by Chicks Beduino
Racing in the ninth trial, Mr Ease 123 was second by a neck to Lethal Volt, with a time of :21.395. He held on to be the 10th-fastest qualifier.
Race Record: 3-0-2-0 $1,630. A maiden, Mr Ease 123 opened his career in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) trials, then was second in his Rainbow Futurity (G1) trial to qualifier Hez Our Secret.
Owner/Breeder: Carolyn Bay of Clare, Michigan, races horses in her own name and in the name of her T Bill Stables – named in honor of her first horse. Her runners include two-time Grade 1 winner Cold Cash 123 and Grade 3 winner Fanci Ending 123. Cold Cash 123, the Rainbow Derby (G1) winner, is the fastest qualifier to the All American Derby (G1).
“Believe me, this is an excited place,” Bay said from her farm in Clare, where both her qualifiers were foaled.
Mr Ease 123 is a homebred out of her homebred mare Barbs Beduino 123.
“This doesn’t make a bit of difference, they don’t have to be beautiful to run,” Bay said. “But he happens to be just a beautiful 2-year-old. He happens to be one of my favorites. He’s been good-looking and a dominant baby ever since he was born.”
Mr Ease 123 got his name when farm helper and volunteer Joan Roberts, who loves to help with the newborn foals, brought her non-horsey husband, Mike Roberts, out to see the foals. Joan reported that Mike really liked the colt, and so Bay added his initials – MR.
The “123” designation at the end of the horses’ names indicates an old family story – when Bay’s parents began dating, they did not have the approval of their families, so they used the numbers as a code for “I love you.” It became part of the family lore and part of the horses’ names.
Trainer: Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, a member of Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame, trained world champion Refrigerator to his 1990 All American Futurity win, and On A High to win the 1983 All American Futurity. His trainees have earned more than $22.6 million, with 1,335 winners from 6,868 starters. He has the bookend qualifiers for the All American Futurity – fastest qualifier Ochoa and 10th-fastest qualifier Mr Ease 123 – as well as the All American Derby (G1) fastest qualifier Cold Cash 123.
Qualifying Jockey: Reigning champion jockey Jacky Martin returned to race riding in a big way in 2010, jumping in with year-end earnings of $3.2 million and the champion jockey award. The seven-time All American Futurity-winning jockey, who rode his first official races in 1972, has ridden 2,968 winners from 14,344 starters and the earners of more than $46.4 million. Martin also qualified Ochoa, Tee Cos and Denver Pass.
Pedigree: Sire Holland Ease is a 22-year-old son of First Down Dash and the sire of Corona Cartel (who sired four of the All American Futurity finalists). A Grade 1 winner on the track, Holland Ease from 16 crops has sired the earners of more than $11.7 million. They include 367 winners from 617 starters, 41 stakes winners and champion Haulin Pass.
Barbs Beduino 123 is a homebred for Bay, and like All American Derby fastest qualifier Cold Cash 123, traces to the stock that was owned by Walter and Barbara Conley of Remus, Michigan. Bay bought and was given horses from their program, including Tiny Lou Etta. The Tiny’s Gay mare is the third dam of both Mr Ease 123 and Cold Cash 123. Barbs Beduino 123 is named in honor of Barbara, who picked the filly out as her favorite of that year’s crop.
The winning Chicks Beduino mare has produced three winners from four starters, including stakes winner Shadaisy 123 (by Shazoom, $60,203).
————————-
All-American Derby
FASTEST QUALIFIER: COLD CASH 123
Bay gelding, Oak Tree Special-Hot Cash 123 by Takin On The Cash
Winning the sixth of nine trials by a half length over second-fastest qualifier DM Streakn Thru Fire and 10th-fastest qualifier The Printing Press, Cold Cash 123 won his sixth consecutive start at 440 yards in :20.833 to earn the fastest qualifying time.
Race Record: 10-6-1-0 $615,346, won Rainbow Derby (G1), won Southwest Juvenile Championship (G1), won All American Juvenile (R). Cold Cash 123 broke his maiden in the All American Futurity (G1) trials last year, failing to qualify to the final but winning the All American Juvenile Invitational (R). He went on to earn his first Grade 1 in the Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park. After an uncharacteristically poor effort in the Heritage Place Derby (G2) trials this spring, he dominated his Rainbow Derby trial in a near track-record time and went on to win the final.
Owner/Breeder: Carolyn Bay of Clare, Michigan, races horses in her own name and in the name of her T Bill Stables. Her runners include two-time Grade 1 winner Cold Cash 123 and Grade 3 winner Fanci Ending 123. She also owns All American Futurity finalist Mr Ease 123.
“When you’ve won so many races and so much is expected of you … ‘Cold Cash’ probably doesn’t know that, but it’s nerve wracking (for us),” Bay said. “But it’s very exciting.”
The gelding has an easy-going temperament that shows before races.
“He is something,” Bay said. “He just goes onto the track like a pony horse. He’s laid back, just goes along with a loose lead. But then he gets behind the gates and knows where he is. And he does his job.
“He has caused quite a stir here,” Bay added. “The neighbors are calling, they’re watching it on television. It has caused quite the excitement in this small county of Clare.”
Trainer: Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame, trained world champion Refrigerator to his 1990 All American Futurity win, and On A High to win the 1983 All American Futurity. His trainees have earned more than $22.6 million, with 1,335 winners from 6,868 starters.
“He’s a different kind of horse,” Gilbreath said of Cold Cash 123. “He’s really laid back. If you shake him up, he gets mad, so we just leave him alone.”
Qualifying Jockey: Since 1985, Roy Baldillez has won 1,314 of 9,599 starts, including 51 stakes wins, with mount earnings of more than $13.6 million. His mounts have included Grade 1 winners Illegal Memories (Texas Classic Futurity), Thewayouwantmetoo (Rainbow Futurity), Red Clay Of Texas (Ruidoso Futurity), Invisible Injun (Texas Classic Derby), Significant Speed (Dash For Cash and Rainbow derbies), Easily A Rogue (Remington Park Championship) and First Down Kelly (Blue Ribbon Futurity).
Pedigree: Oak Tree Special (2000, Special Task-Easy Lady Oak by Easy Dozen) was the 2003 world champion and earned $628,470 while compiling a record of 26-16-2-2. With 248 starters from five crops raced, Oak Tree Special has sired 17 stakes winners, 130 winners and the earners of more than $5 million. With progeny earnings of more than $1.57 million to date this year, Oak Tree Special currently is the sixth-ranked sire of money earners in 2011.
Dam Hot Cash 123 is a maiden half sister to the stakes-winning Striking Bunny geldings Overpowered and Hot Hugger. The Takin On The Cash mare also produced 2010 Paint world champion I Do One Two Three. Cold Cash 123 is her first American Quarter Horse foal.
The Michigan-Bred Claimer 