NCHA News

Robert Thigpen, Chilton, Tex., scored 215.5 points on Metallic Rita, by Metallic Cat, to win the 2019 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes Amateur Finals. John Rockey, Palmdale, Calif., and Jose Ignacio Sigala, Weatherford, Tex., tied as co-reserve champions with 214 points, riding Sweet Toothe, by Kit Kat Sugar, and Sweet Dark Venum, by Sigala Rey, respectively. Ken Schultz, Sacramento, Calif., posted 213.5 points, the third-highest score on Calvin Baloo, by Lil Catbaloo.

Robert Thigpen, the NCHA earner of $182,595, and Metallic Rita LTE $18,023 earned their first major check as finalists in the 2018 NCHA Futurity Amateur, where they placed eleventh, earned fourth-place money in the Amateur Senior division, and were semi-finalists in the Amateur Unlimited. Thigpen’s second-richest individual payout came as reserve champion of the 2016 NCHA Derby Amateur, where he showed Barbies Blue Cat LTE $48,115.

Metallic Rita was bred by Thigpen out of Pats Little Senorita LTE $31,801, a 2006 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Finalist shown by Thigpen, and the dam of Ruby Rita LTE $72,926, a full sister to Metallic Rita.

John Rockey, the NCHA earner of $316,601, was the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur reserve champion and Amateur Unlimited finalist on Dureyngo Kid LTE $119,501, who he also showed as a finalist in Saturday’s Super Stakes Classic Amateur Unlimited. It was his 2018 NCHA Futurity Amateur Unlimited championship win on Sweet Toothe, however, that surpassed Rockey’s other accomplishments. Sweet Toothe LTE $45,663, by Kit Kat Sugar, is out of One Sweet Sis LTE $94,925, by One Time Pepto.

Jose Sigala, the NCHA earner of $76,566, showed Grenache Grape LTE $13,094, by Sigala Rey, to place fifth in the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Finals. Sweet Dark Venum, also sired by Sigala Rey and bred by Sigala, is out of Starsredfeather LTE $36,738, the dam of Sweet Dark Venum’s full sister Secreytariat LTE $44,850.

Sweet Dark Venum was also shown by Isidro Sigala to place tenth in the 2019 Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited Finals.

Ken Schultz, the NCHA earner of $282,189, tied himself in tenth place, in the 2018 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited Finals riding Calvin Baloo, by Lil Catbaloo, and Rockin Those Tricks, by Rockin W. He also rode Calvin Baloo as a 2018 Futurity Amateur Unlimited finalist and an Amateur semi-finalist, and placed eleventh in the Amateur Finals with Rockin Those Tricks. Additionally, Schultz and Calvin Baloo tied for fifth in the Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited.