Sayonara fights hard to win R-G1 Speedhorse Derby
FORT WORTH, Texas—Sayonara had a tough group to beat in the $45,160 R-G1
Speedhorse Derby run at Fair Meadows at Tulsa on July 24, 2010. There were quite
a few who were dueling down the stretch of the race, with Sayonara moving up
throughout the race and holding on just long enough to win the race by a slim
margin. The win picture looks like a blur of jockey silks colors with the little
sorrel mare on the outside named the winner. She finished the 350 yard race with
a time of 17.54 seconds, earning $17,161 for the win.
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Sayonara(#8) keeps her nose out front to win the Speedhorse
Derby. Photo by Gene Wilson & Assoc.
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Sayonara is a 2007 mare by top stallion Judys Lineage and out of Kiss This
Goodbye, sired by Royal Quick Flash. She was bred by Shari Burger of Jay,
Oklahoma, and is owned and trained by Dee Keener of Inola, Oklahoma. Jockey
Jesus Salazar rode the mare to the win. Last year she ran fourth in the
Speedhorse Futurity, but this was her first stakes race victory. She has total
earnings of $89,218.
There were several contenders nipping at Sayonara’s heels at the end of the race, one
which looked to win the race was Dos Gatos who finished second. Also not far
behind was Cutrock, SM Country Bandit and Dodacious. In the end Dos Gatos had
given way just enough for Sayonara to slip by. He ran the race in a time of
17.55 seconds, earning $7,677 to make his lifetime earnings $26,130. The 2007
sorrel solid Paint-bred gelding is owned by Claudia VillaFranco of Wapanucka,
Oklahoma, and was bred by Richard Joneson of Shawnee, Oklahoma. He is trained by
Luis VillaFranco and ridden by Kenny Muntz. Dos Gatos is sired by Dos Poruno and
by Felinity AQHA, by Rare Form (AQHA).
Finishing third after a big run at the end was Dodacious, a 2007 sorrel solid
Paint-bred gelding by Dos Poruno and out of Audacious, sired by Judys Lineage.
He is owned by Steven Wright of Coweta, Oklahoma, and was bred by Linda Fox of
Maud, Oklahoma. He finished with a time of 17.61 seconds, earning $4,968 to make
his lifetime earnings $38,608.
Other horses completing the race, along with times, include Cutrock (17.67
seconds), A Real Surprise (17.67 seconds), SM Country Bandit (17.76 seconds), SM
Jaxons Quick Dash (17.83 seconds), Onlytreasureofmine (17.85 seconds), Allysa
(17.97 seconds) and Running For Candy (18.24 seconds).
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.