Cutrock wins G1 Graham Paint and Appaloosa Derby, fourth win in a row
FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Cutrock has kept his record nearly perfect as he lined up in the gates
for the Grade 1 Graham Paint and Appaloosa Derby on March 27. But this race
started off not perfect, due to one of the contenders having trouble in the
gates and forcing all of the horses to unload and reload. That imperfection
didn’t faze Cutrock, who led most of the race and won at Remington Park in
Oklahoma City. The 350-yard race offered $61,025. He now has a record of 8
starts total, with 7 wins, including three stakes races, winning all three.
After earning $23,193 for this win, his lifetime earnings stand at $97,808.
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Cutrock. Photo by Dustin Orona Photography.
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Cutrock, sired by top sire Judys Lineage and out of Teresas Partner AQHA, posted
a time of 17.35, earning a 101 speed index. Last year this gelding slashed three
Paint track records, and with this type of start for the year, looks to slash
more. He is a three-year-old sorrel Solid Paint-bred gelding, bred by Clinton
Gibbs of Amarillo, Texas. He is owned by Jose Luis Granados of Amarillo, Texas,
trained by Eddie Willis of Oklahoma and was ridden to victory by top rider Jimmy
Brooks. Regarding the reload situation, Brooks commented, "He stayed focused. He
wasn’t standing really well when we first loaded, so it was probably good that
we backed out and reloaded. When the field was loaded back, he stood perfect."
Second across the wire was San Mateo Chick, a sorrel Solid Paint-bred gelding by Agouti AQHA
and out of Judys Chicklet. He is bred and owned by Sammy Hester and Charles
Trochta of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sammy Hester also trains the gelding. He finished
the race with a time of 17.47, about ¾ length behind Cutrock, and was ridden by
Larry Payne. He earned $10,374 for the second-place finish, bringing his
lifetime earnings to $87,631.
Finishing third was a California-bred gelding named Paint Me A Bono, a sorrel Solid Paint-bred
by Bono Jazz AQHA and out of Elite Cash. He crossed the wire with a time of
17.50, earning $6,712. His lifetime earnings are now $27,715. The gelding was
ridden by jockey Gilbert Ortiz, and trained by Shon Dunlap. He was bred by
Teresa and Alan Reese of Orange, California. He is owned by Ivy Lane Racing out
of Ontario, Canada.
Other horses completing the race, along with times, include I Do One Two Three
(17.62 seconds), Dos Gatos (17.68 seconds), Hiclass Flash (17.76 seconds),
Sayonara (17.79 seconds), Rocket Ball ApHC(17.97 seconds) and Runnin CJ (17.98
seconds). Sheza Royal Quick Dash was scratched at the starting gates.
More about Paint Horse racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the
recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, it’s no wonder that Paints have become
one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.
Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made
major strides forward. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in
just two states—Texas and Oklahoma. In 2009, more than 540 starters competed in
more than 530 APHA-recognized races for record purses totaling more than $4.7
million.
A total of 17 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint
Horses also race in Canada.
"With a wealth of top performing Paint racehorses, dedicated owners and
talented trainers and jockeys, Paint Racing continues to remain a strong program
in the horse industry," said APHA Executive Director Lex Smurthwaite. "Paint
Racing enthusiasts recognized the amount of purse money available and have
jumped in to take advantage of the lucrative payouts."
For more information on Paint Horse racing, contact APHA’s racing department at
(817) 222-6444, email racing@apha.com, or
visit paintracing.com.