After two days of first go-round competition, the NCHA Kit Kat Sugar 6/7 Open field was narrowed down to 59 horses, with scores of 216 points or higher, bound for the second go-round on Saturday, April 3, and lead by Bama Jelly LTE $329,761, by Bamacat, with 224 points under Austin Shepard.
The second go-round field consists of 33 six-year-olds and 26 seven-year-olds, and includes 30 mares, 19 geldings, and 10 stallions.
In addition to the 6/7 Open second go-round, which will be held in Watt Arena beginning at 9:00 a.m., Saturday’s schedule in the Coliseum, includes the final six sets of the Non-Pro 4-Year-Old first go-round, followed by the 6/7 Open Intermediate Finals.
Eleven Intermediate-eligible horses, with scores of 217.5 and higher from the Open first go-round, qualified for the Intermediate Open Finals, including Hershay Kiss LTE $60,600, with the (Intermediate) high score of 220 points. The 7-year-old Metallic Cat daughter is being shown by Phil Rapp, for Lori Gale, Conway, S.C.
In addition to Hershay Kiss, Rapp also qualified for the finals with Driven Miss Sallie LTE $79,381, a 6-year-old Hydrive Cat daughter owned by Gale Force Quarter Horses, Conway, S.C.
The 6/7 Open Limited class was won by This Bentleys Hot LTE $51,087 with a score of 220 points from the first go-round, under Benjamin Royal. The 7-year-old Hottish-sired gelding, owned by Kerinne Edgar, Wilton, Calif., who won the 2019 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Open Limited championship under Brent Erickson, claimed $5,524 for his 6/7-Year-Old 2021 Super Stakes win.
Benjamin Royal, the NCHA earner of $53,311, won the 2017 Utah Futurity 3-Year-Old Open Limited riding Jessicas WR, by WR This Cats Smart.
Justin Wright and Bear Davis scored 218 points on Little Redd Corvette LTE $69,186 and Rockin KW LTE $189,001, respectively, to each claim a second-place payout of $3,867 in the NCHA Super Stakes 6/7 Open Limited.
Little Redd Corvette, a 7-year-old Metallic Cat gelding, is owned by Stacie Pettitt, Clermont, Ga.; Rockin KW, a 7-year-old Rockin W daughter, is owned by Whit and Kim Davis, Millsap, Tex. Rockin KW was a 2018 NCHA Super Stakes 4-Year-Old Open Limited and 2019 Open Limited Classic finalist with Dylan Meyer. Little Redd Corvette placed eighth in the 2019 Super Stakes 5/6 Open Classic under Jesse Lennox.
Justin Wright, the NCHA earner of $8,086, is an NRCHA Open champion, whose wins include the 2017 NRCHA Open Derby on Lil Bay Hawk, by Catty Hawk.
Bear Davis, the NCHA earner of $209,238, placed sixth on Wednesday in the Open Limited 5-Year-Old Limited on Reyzin Cash LTE $27,607, by Dual Rey. Davis was also a 2019 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro Limited finalist riding My Beach My Wave LTE $79,568, by Metallic Cat.
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.