The American Quarter Horse Journal, January 12, 2010 – Champion of Champions (G1) victor Apollitical Jess was honored as the 2010 AQHA World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse tonight during an award ceremony at Heritage Place Sale Co. in Oklahoma City.
The 3-year-old colt is bred and owned by Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga Rancho El Cabresto Inc. Also named the champion 3-year-old colt and champion 3-year-old, he won six of eight starts during the year and earned $1,066,011. His victories included track-record-setting wins in the Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) and the Champion of Champions. Trained by Juan Aleman and ridden by Felipe Garcia and Eduardo Nicasio, Apollitical Jess (Mr Jess Perry-Apollitical Time by Apollo (TB)) also finished second in the All American Derby (G1).
Double Down Special, who defeated Apollitical Jess in the All American Derby, is the champion 3-year-old gelding. Owned by Vanessa Bartoo, trained by John Stinebaugh and ridden by Salvador Martinez and Jacky Martin, Double Down Special (The Down Side-Pamper Me Special by Special Effort) won five of six starts and earned $1,147,067. He set a world record of :18.613 for 400 yards while winning the West Texas Derby (G3), then won the Ruidoso Derby (G1) in addition to the All American Derby. The gelding was bred by Bob and Jerry Gaston.
Isla Vista Ranch SS Inc.’s Pink Boots RM (Walk Thru Fire-Furash Alert (TB) by Gold Alert) was once a claimer, but in her sophomore campaign rose through the ranks to win four of six starts, all at Los Alamitos, and earn $127,150 to be the champion 3-year-old filly. She won the Governor’s Cup Derby (RG2) and was second by a neck against older mares in the Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1). Bred by Jose Santos, Pink Boots RM was trained by Adan Farias and ridden by Rodrigo Aceves and Francisco Rubio.
Spit Curl Diva notched an incredible 4-year-old season in 2010, earning her the aged horse and aged mare championships. Owned by the Lepic-Morgan Partnership, Spit Curl Diva (Spit Curl Jess-Some Kinda Diva by Some Dasher) won eight of 10 races at six tracks in six states, while earning $257,383. Trained and ridden by the wife-husband team of Jody and David Brown, the mare’s season was highlighted by wins in the Refrigerator Handicap (G1), Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1), Bob Moore Memorial Stakes (G2), Decketta Stakes (G3), Junos Request Stakes (G3), Merial and Keokuk Stakes (G3) and Arapahoe Distaff Challenge. The mare, bred by Little Deer Creek Quarter Horses, also set four track records, ranging from 250 to 400 yards.
With a perfect record in 2010, Gone To The Mountain (Panther Mountain-Lindys Bouquet by Fast Lindy) earned championship honors for a second consecutive year, this time in the aged stallion category. The 5-year-old bred and owned by Clyde Woerner last year was the sport’s champion distance horse. This year, Gone To The Mountain won all three starts, including the Red Cell Sunland Distance Challenge (G3) and Master Salls Handicap, and earned $65,237. He was ridden by Freddie Martinez and trained by Wes Giles.
Another repeat champion, Noconi (Mr Jess Perry-My Dashing Lady by Dash For Cash) parlayed a limited year into the aged gelding championship. Racing for breeders R.D. Hubbard and Johnny T.L. Jones, the 5-year-old gelding won four of five starts and earned $300,585. After losing an out in February, he was rested until September when he reeled off four straight victories in New Mexico, including the All American Gold Cup (G2), Lovington Stakes (G2), Zia Park Championship (G1) and The Championship at Sunland Park (G1). The gelding, trained by Paul Jones and ridden by Cody Jensen and Jacky Martin, was also the 2008 champion 3-year-old gelding.
American Runaway won the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) and was second, by a nose each time, in the Grade 1 Remington Park, Rainbow and Texas Classic futurities. He is the 2010 champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt. Owned by Sammy and Johnny Martinez and Bobby Cox, American Runaway (Ocean Runaway-Allamericandreamgirl by Strawfly Special) won four of 10 starts and earned $684,605. The colt was bred in Utah by Lance Robinson. American Runaway was trained by Sammy Martinez and Paul Jones and ridden by Larry Payne, Tad Leggett and Cody Jensen.
Racing exclusively at Los Alamitos, Flying Fig won three of seven starts and earned $715,986 on her way to being the champion 2-year-old filly. A homebred for Legacy Ranch Inc., Flying Fig (Corona Cartel-Tender Flyer by Strawfly Special) was never worse than second in all her starts, and she was second in three $1 million-plus purse races: the $1,024,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1), the $1,185,450 Golden State Million Futurity (G1) and the $1,949,700 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1). Trained by Denny Ekins, she was ridden by Alex Bautista and Ramon Sanchez.
Louisiana star JLS Mr Bigtime is the champion 2-year-old gelding. The JLS-Speed Horse Ranch Inc. homebred won six of nine outs and earned $599,962. The gelding (Bigtime Favorite-Psalmist by Osceola Warrior) was second in the Lee Berwick Memorial Louisiana Bred Futurity (RG1) before going on to finish a narrow second in the All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet (G1) as the race’s fastest qualifier. He returned to Louisiana to win the Louisiana QHBA Futurity (RG1) and set two 400-yard track records at Evangeline Downs. Trained by Darrel Soileau, the gelding was ridden by Gilbert Ortiz, Jacky Martin and Jarrod Deschamp.
Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1) winner De Passem Okey is the champion distance horse. The 4-year-old gelding (Okey Dokey Dale-Impassable Gal (TB) by Sir Richard Lewis) won six of 10 outs and earned $132,279. In his second start of the year, he was claimed for $7,500 by Steve Holt and quickly climbed to the top of the division. He won the Walter Merrick Memorial Stakes (R) and Red Cell Will Rogers Distance Challenge before conquering his rivals in the Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship. After the claim, De Passem Okey was trained by Rodney Reed and ridden by G.R. Carter Jr., Adam Roughley and Tad Leggett. De Passem Okey was bred by Eddie Moore D.V.M., and was owned in partnership by Eddie and Dewayne Moore and trained by Jim Limbaugh at the time of the claim.
One Kool Wave was undefeated in eight starts and is the Canadian champion. The Ontario-bred gelding (Wave Carver-One Kool Bud by Strawflyin Buds) earned $164,301 and reeled off victories in the Maple Leaf Futurity, Legacy Futurity (R), All Canadian Futurity (R) and Alex Picov Memorial Futurity (R). He was owned by breeder Robert Bailey in partnership with Don Ito, and was trained by Don Reid and ridden by Kim Ito.
Corona Lady (Sambaso Dancer-Tessas Decked Out by Corona Cartel) is the Mexican champion after a freshman campaign that included three wins in six starts and earnings of $143,779. The filly won the Garanones Futurity (RG3) and was second in the Subasta Selecta Futurity (RG3) and Campeonato Juvenile. Bred by Muzquiz Everado Elquezabal, she is owned by Crispin Solis Ortiz.
A champion on the track, Apollitical Time (Apollo (TB)-Half Time Attraction by First Down Dash) was named 2010 broodmare of the year on the strength of her first foal to race, the 2010 world champion Apollitical Jess. The mare, owned by Julianna Hawn Holt, won 14 of 35 starts on the track and earned $904,242 and was a three-time champion. From two starters Apollitical Time has produced world champion Apollitical Jess with progeny earnings of $1,400,431.
In the champion horsemen categories, Bobby Cox is the champion owner for the second time. The Fort Worth, Texas, resident raced in partnership champion American Runaway, as well as in his own name the winners of 30 races in 216 starts and earners of $807,908. They include stakes winner King Brimmerton and Grade 1 finalists Sinuous, All N The Jeans, Carburator, Atonement, Zoomin With Ease and Dominyun. Cox also was honored with the award in 2004. Dr. Ed Allred was awarded champion breeder for the second consecutive year, and the 11th cumulative time. Dr. Allred is the sport’s all-time leading breeder and owner, and owns Los Alamitos Race Course. Juggernaut Paul Jones continues his stranglehold on the Blane Schvaneveldt Champion Trainer award, winning for the ninth consecutive year. The trainer sent out the earners of more than $4.3 million, including champions American Runaway and Noconi as well as Grade 1 winners The Goodbye Kisser, Good Reason SA and Stylish Jess BR. In an incredible comeback year, Jacky Martin returned to race riding red-hot in June and never looked back. He rode three of the 2010 champions, including Double Down Special, JLS Mr Bigtime and Noconi, and booted his mounts home in 93 of 363 starts with earnings of $3.2 million. Martin also rode Grade 1 winner Hes Too Icy For Me and was the champion jockey in 2000.
All the racing champions will be presented with trophies at the 2011 AQHA Convention, March 4-7 in Grapevine, Texas.
American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104