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Bonanza Open Classic

Feb 17, 2020, 08:28 AM by Sally Harrison

Metallic Drifter and Gaines claim the Open Classic title

2020 Bonanza Open Classic champion Metallic Drifter

Metallic Drifter LTE $144,665, owned by Jim Vangilder, Weatherford, Tex., and shown by Matt Gaines, scored 223 points on Friday, February 14, to win the 2020 Bonanza Open Classic, in Belton, Tex. The 6-year-old Metallic Cat gelding, one of 15 finalists, also earned top money in the Open Gelding and Open $25,000 Novice divisions, for a grand total, including the Classic Open Finals payout, of $22,682.

Metallic Curveball LTE $156,179, a 5-year-old Metallic Cat gelding shown by Jesse Lennox for Rocking P Ranch, Fort Worth, Tex., scored 221 points for reserve, while 6-year-old Carolena Reyn LTE $266,898, sired by Dual Smart Rey, and 5-year-old Ristos Fair Cat LTE $61,621, by High Brow Cat, tied with 220 points for third ridden, respectively, by Matt Miller for Rocking P Ranch, and by Grant Setnicka for SMF Cutting Horses LLC.

Bred by Arcese Quarter Horses, Metallic Drifter made his career debut as an NCHA Futurity semi-finalist with Gaines and has since been a working finalist in eight events, including a win and a reserve in the 2019 Arbuckle Mountain Classic and the 2019 Cotton Stakes Classic.

Metallic Curveball, a half-brother to Cinca Im Hot LTE $259,169, by Spots Hot, placed third to earn $54,972 in the last year’s NCHA Super Stakes, in addition to payouts in the Gelding and Novice divisions. He also placed seventh in the Breeders Invitational and eighth in the NCHA Derby, and was reserve champion of the El Rancho Futurity.

Carolena Reyn enjoyed a stellar 4- and 5-year-old career under her breeders and former owners Matt and Megan Miller. She won the 2018 Arbuckle Mountain and the West Texas 4-Year-Old Open Futurities with Matt, and the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro championship, as well as the 2018 Pacific Coast Non-Pro Futurity with Megan. In 2019, she carried Megan to win the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic, as well as the reserve championship of the NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro.

Bred by Darren Blanton, Dallas, Tex., Ristos Fair Cat was a 2019 Open finalist under Grant Setnicka, in seven major events, including the NCHA Super Stakes.

The Bonanza Cutting continues through Friday, February 21. To read more from Sally Harrison visit sallyharrison.com.