Double Zee, bred and owned by Kevin and Sydney Knight, Weatherford, Tex., and shown by Tatum Rice, scored 221 points on Wednesday to win the West Texas 3-Year-Old Open Futurity. Side Chic, owned by Pat and Lisa Taylor, Pilot Point, Tex., scored 220 points under Lloyd Cox for the reserve championship. First and second-place payouts from the 15-horse finals were worth $15,000 and $13,000, respectively, from a purse of $88,316.
Double Zee, a gelding by first-year sire Reyzin The Cash, is a three-quarter brother to 2018 NCHA Futurity Open champion and 2019 NCHA Horse of the Year Crey Zee LTE $339,712 and half-brother to 4-year-old Jae Zee LTE $57,361, the first money earners out of Eazee E LTE $211,145. Eazee E, 2017 NCHA Open Reserve World Champion, as well as Crey Zee, Jae Zee, and Double Zee, were all trained and shown by Tatum Rice, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $2,480,691.
Side Chic, owned by Pat and Lisa Taylor, Pilot Point, Tex., and sired by Smooth As A Cat, was bred by Holmes & Hill, Glen Rose, Tex. She is out of Cat Mom Do LTE $199,423, a half-sister by High Brow Cat, to Moms Stylish Player LTE $413,087, among 11 money earners of over $1.3 million out of Moms Stylish Babe LTE $413,087.
Hughes Got My Candy, shown by Travis Stewart for Alan and Tandy Steen, Georgetown, Tex., scored 225 points to win the West Texas Futurity 3-Year-Old Open Limited, while Reyzin Grace earned reserve with 222 points under Austin Johnson, for Brad Rogers, Madill, Okla.
Hughes Got My Candy, by Thomas E Hughes, was bred by Kelly Schaar, Goliad, Tex., and is the fifth NCHA money earner out of Peptocandy LTE $151,386, reserve champion of the 2005 NCHA Open Futurity with Ronnie Rice.
Reyzin Grace, by Reyzin The Cash, was bred by Eddie and Barbara Young, San Angelo, Tex., and is the first foal out of Cajun Grace LTE $52,856, by High Brow CD. She is also the third 3-year-old by first-crop sire Reyzin The Cash to shine in the West Texas Futurity. In addition to Open Futurity champion Double Zee and Open Limited reserve champion Reyzin Grace, Reyzin The Cash is also sire of fifth-placed Open Futurity finalist Spreadin The Cash, shown by Adan Banuelos for breeder and owner Iron Rose Ranch, Carbondale, Colo.
To read more from Sally Harrison, visit her blog at sallyharrison.com.