NCHA Futurity champion All Spice LTE $269,880, shown by Adan Banuelos for the Holmes/Hill Partnership, Glen Rose, Tex., topped the first go-round of the 2021 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity with 224.5 points on opening day, Monday, February 22, in Ardmore, Okla. Her performance, in the sixth set of the eight-set go-round, immediately followed Intox O Cating’s 224-point performance under Michael Cooper for Gary Rosenbach, Weatherford, Tex.
The first set of the go-round forecast stiff competition when Hottish son Sueper Hot LTE $57,638, owned by Dottie Hill of the Holmes/Hill Partnership and shown by Beau Galyean, scored 221 points, and Ike Hamilton Futurity winner Catolena Cashin In LTE $63,455, by Reyzin The Cash, scored 221.5 points under Tarin Rice for Joel Colgrove, Boligee, Ala. In the second set, the Smooth Talkin Style daughter Speak Easie LTE $21,424, owned by Penny Wilson, Ardmore, Okla., took the lead with 222 points under Cass Tatum, and in the fourth set, Once In A Blu Boon daughter Fancy Deville LTE $12,727, shown by Austin Shepard for Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Tex., tied Speak Easie with 222 points.
It was the sixth set, however, that tipped the balance. CW Blu Rey LTE $10,204, a Once In A Blu Boon gelding shown by James Payne for Carole Wyatt, Marietta, Okla., set the pace with 220.5 points, followed by the Hottish son Spots Hottist and Jesse Lennox for Rockin P Ranch, Fort Worth, Tex., with 220. Then Payne, working fourth in the set, marked 222 on his own horse, Chaty Catty LTE $25,989, a gelding three-quarter brother, by Catty Hawk, to Velvets Revolver LTE $278,840 and The Golden Shot LTE $106,143.
At the end of the day, 71 horses with scores of 215.5 points or higher had qualified for the second go-round. Nine of them were ridden by Adan Banuelos, including leader All Spice with 224.5 points, and James Payne was the only rider to earn two of the top ten scores.
All Spice, sired by Once In A Blu Boon, was bred by Royce Stallcup out of the High Brow Cat daughter Show Biz Kitty, dam of NCHA winners of $1,240,022, including Rollz Royce LTE $348,383, by Dual Smart Rey, and All Spice’s full brother, 6-year-old Badboonarising LTE $319,879, who is also shown by Adan Banuelos.
In addition to her NCHA Futurity win, All Spice was also reserve champion of the 2021 Ike Hamilton Derby with Banuelos. The NCHA Hall of Fame earner of over $3.6 million, Adan Banuelos won the 2018 Arbuckle Mountain 5/6 Classic on Miss Stylish Cat LTE $102,060, by High Brow Cat, and was reserve champion in the 2020 Arbuckle Derby on NCHA Futurity reserve champion Twice in Santiago LTE $256,587, by Once In A Blu Boon.
Intox O Cating LTE $10,412, sired by Boon Too Suen and owned and bred by Gary Rosenbach, out of Cat O Connor, by High Brow Cat, was an NCHA Futurity Open semi-finalist under Michael Cooper, who also showed her full sister, Suen You Will See LTE $163,778, also owned and bred by Gary Rosenbach’s Rose Valley Ranch.
Michael Cooper, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of over $3.9 million, showed Special Nu Boon LTE $193,270, owned by Rose Valley Ranch and sired by Boon Too Suen, to place second in last year’s Arbuckle Mountain 5/6 Classic Novice division and to win the Gelding division.
The Arbuckle Mountain Futurity continues through Sunday, February 28.
To read more from Sally Harrison, visit her blog at sallyharrison.com.
