John Kratzer, Weatherford, Tex., scored 221.5 points on Babes Smart Cat on Thursday, April 1, to top the NCHA Kit Kat Sugar 5-Year-Old Non-Pro first go-round. Missy Jean Etheridge, Corinth, Miss., riding Boondexterous, and Ty Moore, Madill, Okla., on Miss Blu Boon, tied with 221 points. The 5-Year-Old Non-Pro second go-round, which includes 44 horses with scores of 212 or higher from the first go-round, will be held on Sunday, April 4, in Will Rogers Coliseum.
John Kratzer, the NCHA earner of $334,139, was a finalist in the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Limited on Secrets Blue Angel LTE $25,141, by One Time Pepto. Earlier this year, Kratzer placed sixth in the finals of the Cattlemen’s Classic Unlimited Amateur on Babes Smart Cat, while Tatum Rice showed the WR This Cats Smart daughter as Open reserve champion.
Owned by Cows & Horses Etc, Weatherford, Tex., Babes Smart Cat, by WR This Cats Smart, was bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock, Douglas, Wyo., and is out of a full sister to Moms Stylish Player LTE $411,889, by Lizzys Gotta Player. Moms Stylish Player is out of the Docs Stylish Oak daughter Moms Stylish Babe LTE $37,565, the dam of earners of $1,325,815.
Missy Etheridge, the NCHA earner of $533,026, was a 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro finalist riding Tommies Playgirl LTE $111,511, by Thomas E Hughes. This year Etheridge has shown Boondexterous LTE $91,769 as a finalist in the Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro Classic, as well as in the NCHA Eastern Nationals, where she also showed A Cat Named Johnny LTE $66,662, by Metallic Cat, as Non-Pro reserve champion.
Owned by Belle Terre Ranch, Corinth, Miss., Boondexterous, by Once In A Blu Boon, is out of the High Brow Cat daughter Cats Smart Lady LTE $6,578, dam of the earners of $126,127. In 2020, Etheridge showed Boondexterous as reserve champion of the Cotton Stakes Non-Pro and as winner of the Non-Pro Intermediate, and was a finalist in three other major events, as well.
Beau Galyean also showed Boondexterous as Open reserve champion of the 2020 Cotton Stakes, and qualified him for the 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes Open 5-Year-Old Finals on April 17.
Ty Moore, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $1,257,379, has been an NCHA Super Stakes or Classic finalist 15 times since 2006. Most recently, he placed fifth in the 2019 Super Stakes Non-Pro riding 4-year-old Scantly Clad LTE $116,534, by Metallic Cat, who he also showed as a finalist in the 2021 Arbuckle Mountain 5/6 Non-Pro. He also placed as reserve champion of the 2021 Abilene Spectacular 5/6 Non-Pro on Tweezin My Brow LTE $96,366, by High Brow Cat, as well, and showed Phar Out LTE $17,409, by Smooth As A Cat, and Mental Reyvenge LTE $2,275, by Dual Rey, in the finals of the Abilene 4-Year-Old Non-Pro.
Miss Blu Boon LTE $60,962 also carried Moore to win the 2020 West Texas Non-Pro Futurity and placed third in the 2020 NCHA Non-Pro Derby. The Once In A Blu Boon daughter placed third in the 2021 Ike Hamilton Open Classic under Lloyd Cox.
The 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes continues through Saturday, April 17.
To read more from Sally Harrison, visit her blog at sallyharrison.com.
