Racing


Moonie Blues Avoids Trouble, Cruises To Wild West Futurity
Moonie Blues, under jockey Jesus Ayala, sailed to victory in the Wild West Futurity Sunday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Scott Martinez
Moonie Blues Avoids Trouble, Cruises To Wild West Futurity

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 29, 2017—Lisa Anderson’s homebred Moonie Blues took advantage of a perfect start to daylight the field in the $129,100 Wild West Futurity while 2-5 favorite Yanque got bumped hard right out of the gate, was pushed into foes, and essentially got eliminated from contention at that point in the 350-yard race on Sunday at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Moonie Blues, meanwhile, had a dream of a trip. She opened up a daylight advantage over her rivals early on and never looked back from there on the way to a length victory at odds of 4-1.

Winning jockey Jesus Ayala and trainer Jamie Gomez accept the Wild West Futurity stakes trophy for Lisa Anderson Sunday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.
© Scott Martinez
Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala from post number eight for trainer Jaime Gomez, Moonie Blues covered the distance in :17.644 while picking up her fourth win in six career starts.

"I had never run in the Wild West Futurity until this year," Gomez said. "Lisa sent me this beautiful and talented filly and she went :15.50 in her first time out at Los Alamitos (on August 4). She had a little infection in her throat and we kept fighting with it. Dr. Ricky Overly scoped her before the trials and she came back pretty clean. She’s doing great now and we’re ready to go with her in the trials to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity."

The Washington-bred is by the 9-year-old stallion Freighttrain B, the winner of the Grade 3 Black Gold Futurity and fourth place finisher in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity in 2010. Moonie Blues, who is out of the Special Leader mare Stuckonafeeling, earned $54,222 for the win to take her lifetime earnings to $63,582. She’s the fifth stakes finalist out of Stuckonafeeling and the mare’s second stakes winner.

Wild West Futurity winner Moonie Blues returns under jockey Jesus Ayala. © Scott Martinez
"All her runners have ended up qualifying to either a futurity or a derby," said Anderson, a resident of Walla Walla, Washington. "I’m so excited that I’m shaking. Moonie Blues’ half-brother is Go Black Benny and we’ve also had a lot of fun with him."

Go Black Benny qualified to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and Grade 2 Golden State Derby. He also finished second in the Independence Day Handicap.

Moonie Blues’ half-brother, Jumpn Black Flash, won the 2011 Knight Transporation Futurity and the 2012 Les Boise Derby. Stuckonafeeling is also the dam of Adequan Regional Derby Challenge qualifier Super Cooper and Dutch Masters III Futurity and Gem County Futurity qualifier Feeling The Jump. As for the broodmare Stuckonafeeling, she won two of 10 career starts and qualified to the Bitterroot Futurity while racing for Dutch Masters III in 2006.

Moonie Blues came into this race after winning her Wild West Futurity trial by two lengths. She qualified to run in the trials to this race by racing in the Bitterroot Futurity trials at Sandy Downs in Idaho Falls and in a maiden race at the Jerome County Fair. Horses are eligible to participate in the Wild West trials by racing in the Intermountain and Northwest regions plus Arizona, Nevada and in Canada.

Martha Wells’ Yanque, the big favorite in this race after posting the fastest qualifying time, crossed the wire eighth, but he was moved up to sixth place following a double disqualification. Cowgirl N Up, who crossed the wire second behind Moonie Blues, was disqualified from second and placed ninth after interfering with her rivals shortly after the start of this race. L Bar D Classic Trip finished seventh, but was disqualified to 10th place after veering in at the start and knocking into a rival.

Tony Greaves’ Pf Daddy Dashair was moved up from third to second place to earn $21,947. Lin Melton saddled the Utah-bred Dashair filly, who was ridden by Cesar De Alba.

Aron Saenz’s Favorite Fire Boy moved up a spot to third place following the disqualification of Cowgirl N Up. Saddled by Month Arrossa and ridden by Jose Nicasio, The son of Favorite Cartel earned $15,492.

Krash Your Party, Warhock, Yanque, R Sturdy Boy, Cm Once Ina Bluemoon, Cowgirl N Up, and L Bar D Classic Trip completed the field.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.