Blane Wood has conditioned the earners of more than $14 million, including champions Leading Spirit ($811,413) and Haulin Pass ($178,855), and won last year’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) with Ms First Prize Rose ($543,595). Based in Lubbock, Texas, he and his son Trey have one of the most successful training operations in the industry. Last year, Trey in his own name sent out the earners of more than $2.4 million, and in his career since 2006 the earners of more than $8.43 million. With qualifiers Bodacious Eagle and Sam Crow in this year’s All American Futurity, Blane Wood is the son of Leo Wood, who in 1979 sent out champion Pie In The Sky to win the All American Futurity (G1).
Ricky Ramirez Jockey
Ricky Ramirez rode Bodacious Eagle on the second day of trials, after being the only rider other than champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr. to qualify a finalist on the first day. The sport’s third-leading rider in 2013, when he rode 104 winners and posted a career-best aboard the earners of $3,073,406, Ramirez since 2003 has ridden the earners of more than $18.37 million. He came into the trials with 33 winners from 281 mounts this year, with a career total of 44 stakes wins and 735 other wins from 4,721 starts. Riding first-call for the father-and-son training operation of Blane and Trey Wood, Ramirez won last year’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) aboard Ms First Prize Rose, the 2012 Heritage Place Futurity (G1) aboard BP Cartels Alibi and the 2010 Texas Classic Futurity (G1) aboard Bodacious Dash.
Johnny Trotter Owner
Johnny Trotter of Hereford, Texas, is the president of the American Quarter Horse Association. He raises commercial beef cattle on his ranches in Texas and New Mexico, and finishes cattle in his Bar G Feedyards at Hereford. Trotter in his own name since 2001 has bred champion One Famous Eagle (which he raced in partnership with Burnett Ranches), graded stakes winner Dash Back Perry ($226,642), one other stakes winner, 33 other winners and the earners of more than $2.5 million from 79 starters. Trotter also owns Texas Classic Futuriity (G1) winner Bodacious Dash, a $756,495 earner whose first foals will be yearlings in 2014.
PEDIGREE
Hez Our Secret - Highly regarded as a 2-year-old, Hez Our Secret qualified for the Rainbow Futurity (G1) but was scratched after emergency colic surgery. After he recovered, the colt returned to the races to finish fourth in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1). Given a break, he returned on June 9 to finish third in a Ruidoso allowance behind fellow All American Derby qualifier Testing The Ice, then was fourth in Ochoa’s Rainbow Derby (G1) trial. Hez Our Secret is one of three finalists from the third All American Derby trial. Run during a driving rain, but before the heavy rains soaked the track, the First Down Dash colt finished in a dead heat victory with A Toss Up.
The sport’s No. 2 all-time leading breeder, Vessels Stallion Farm is based in Bonsall, California, and has in its own name bred horses with 7,074 starts and 1,170 wins. The horses have accumulated more than $21.3 million and include All American Futurity winners Royal Quick Dash, Dash Thru Traffic and No Secrets Here, as well as champions Little Bit Of Baja, Apollitical Time, Hardly Hateful, Your First Moon, Old Habits, Iba Dasher, Hateful Hanna, Meter Me Gone and Rare Form.
“I was real pleased with his improvement,” owner Johnny Trotter said of the gutty colt’s trial performance. “I’m thinking he’ll benefit as much from this race as he did from that Rainbow trial.”
“Bless his heart, he’s had a hard time,” Trotter added. “I’m just proud for that horse, as much trouble as he’s had. He’s a lot better horse than his record shows.”
Hez Our Secret is one of two All American Derby finalist sired by all-time leading sire First Down Dash. The stallion, who died in 2010, has foal earnings of more than $77.8 million, which eclipses the next closest – his sire, Dash For Cash, who has foal earnings of more than $39.9 million. First Down Dash is the sire of All American Derby winners Brimmerton, Stoli, Dashing Perfection and Royal Down Dash.
The 10-year-old mare Secret Separation is a daughter of Separatist, out of the Raise A Secret mare Dicey Secret, making her a half sister to All American Futurity winner No Secrets Here. The winning race mare, owned by Vessels Stallion Farm LLC, has produced eight winners from nine starters, including Grade 1 runner Nosecretwhosefirst (by First Down Dash, $85,000).
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