Tuesday night 2009 started off the same way Tuesday night 2008 did, with Joe Russell and Mayo Moctezuma earning the top spot and the big money in the Missouri Breeder’s Challenge Weanling Stake. The similarities continued, as this colt, Goodfella, is a full brother to last year’s winner, Bella La Donna. By The Last Don, they are out of Albelarm Impulse, by Catalyst. It was a prize of $11,200 going back to Hickory Knoll Farm, just as the tri-color in the Wisconsin Limited Breeders Stake had in September. It was two bright chestnuts with light tails that took the top two spots, as Budget Cut earned the reserve spot with John Wallen. Their prize of $7,000 was earned with a high-headed, well put together performance. Budget Cut is by Riddler’s Party Time and out of It’s Serendipity, an Unlisted daughter.
William Woods earned their first American Royal blue of the year in the Missouri-Kansas Amateur Three-Gaited class. Kaitlyn Alemian guided Enchanting Hour to a blue ribbon ride in this one. Just a five-year-old, Enchanting Hour has had a highly successful year in the walk-trot division, winning his fifth class of the year here today. Hot Couture was reserve with Samantha Baker up for Ronald and Lori Baker. By Designed, Hot Couture is out of an Attache’s Dream Weaver mare.
It was a unanimous choice of the judges that sent Andy Freseth and Romeo’s Kristy Lee LF to the winner’s circle in the Open Roadster Pony class. With the red and blue silks with the yellow trim, Freseth had the fine and fixy mare in top form again tonight for Priscilla Gise. Mike Herron was reserve here with Navigator. They were Limit Road Pony winners in the always well-filled class at Midwest in 2008. Navigator is by Dun-Haven Center Of Attention and out of Call Me Madam.
The Ladies Five-Gaited Mare class was an absolutely fantastic affair, with some of the very best in the business on hand to compete for the American Royal blue. With a who’s who of the Ladies Mare division gathered to duke it out, it was Callaway’s Cassis and Carol Hillenbrand that emerged from the fray with a picturesque performance under the Carriage Lane banner. High in the bridle and moving smartly down the rail, the liver chestnut two-time World’s Champion put it all together tonight for a big win. Riding a six-class winning streak that included the Ladies Mare World’s Championship and the Ladies World’s Champion of Champions title, Callaway’s Annabel Allison was reserve with Debbie Foley aboard for Silver Brook Stables. Lexington’s Ladies Champion and the Amateur Ladies Mare World’s Champion, A Dream In Color was third for Kate Codeanne and Cedarledge Farm under the direction of Rob Turner. It was certainly a well-stocked class and did not disappoint!
Sporting a hot pink coat, Brooke Bowen piloted Guevarra to the Missouri-Kansas Park blue for Katie Keltner Bowen. Picking up their eighth straight blue ribbon, Bowen and Guevarra were winners earlier in the year at St. Louis, Illinois State Fair, Central States, and Longview Charity. Stacey Myers made her first show with After Eight to take reserve for William Woods University.
In a stunning solo performance, The DaVinci Code showcased that surreal headset and slinking, strutting way of moving down the rail that won her the hearts of the Louisville crowd in her Fine Harness Mare World’s Championship show ring debut. Purchased by the Paula Schmidt and Kathy Capsuto Trust after Louisville, she hasn’t skipped a beat, making another stellar debut here, this time her team debut with Kathy Capsuto. They took the Fine Harness Mare class here with a performance that had the crowd cheering along as she moved up one rail and down the other, no small feat in a one-horse class!
A field of 17 was the biggest event of the night to this point, as the Missouri-Kansas Three-Gaited Show Pleasure class hit the ring. With a thrown shoe at the second-way trot, some of the momentum was lost, making for a much longer class. Fighting through that to earn the victory pass was Rochele Cochrane, earning her second win of the day, this time with Tabor Center. Tabor Center is by Roseridge Heir and out of the Worthy Son mare, Worth A Tip, a 3-T product, through and through, earning him the name of the Tabor family. This team was reserve in this class a year ago. Champions of this division in 2008, Betts Coup and Unanimous Consent were reserve for Karen Coup. This was Betts’ second reserve win of the day. They were Three-Gaited Show Pleasure Champions at St. Louis in September.
It was Mike Roberts making the run to the winner’s circle for the second year in a row in the Ladies Five-Gaited Gelding class as Gayle Lampe rode CH Callaway’s Born To Win down victory lane once again. The Ladies National Champion a year ago, they are back to contend for the title, having won the Ladies Gelding World’s Championship earlier this year. They showed back to earn the Ladies Reserve World’s Championship. It was a unanimous round of honor in this one. Tammy DeVore had the always crowd-pleasing Thunderstorm Warning working well in reserve for Martha Pope. Last year’s Kentucky County Fair Five-Gaited Grand Champion is consistently in the top ribbons wherever he goes.
Janet Thompson was honored as the American Royal Horseperson of the Year, and it was declared Janet Thompson Day in the entire State of Missouri. Thompson has a vast history of giving back to the horse show community, organizing shows and working at others, while also maintaining and training her own show horses. The show program describes her with words such as integrity, strong values, a warm heart, patient, and gifted. These all ring true for this special lady.
With another repeat winner headed home with a blue ribbon, It’s Double O’ Deuce and Steve Chadick racked off with the Will Shriver Five-Gaited Stallion Stake for the second year in a row. An entry of SGF Winning Ways Farm, Double O’ Deuce is a son of It’s Hammertime and out of VHF York’s Spillway, by Man Of York. Debbie Foley made one of her best performances with the bay stud, A Whole Different Story for Silver Brook Stables. By Callaway’s Blue Norther, he is out of the World’s Champion mare, That’s My Story, by The New York Times. It was another Will Shriver grandson taking third in the Will Shriver Stake, as Callaway’s Bluesman picked up the yellow ribbon with Redd Crabtree up for Callaway Hills. He is out of Callaway’s Carousel (BHF), the dam of Callaway’s Buttons And Bows and CH Callaway’s Merry-Go-Round.
Winning by a unanimous choice of the judges, Clark Clouse brought the stunning three-year-old filly, Nutcracker Ballerina, in against the aged horses and dominated with a surreally high-headed, striking performance. She was strokin’ down the rail for Bullet Concrete Material Inc. tonight. In her second show ring performance, Ballerina certainly looked born for the show ring. By Undulata’s Nutcracker, she is out of Callaway’s Spirited Gal, by Callaway’s Blue Norther. Second in this good group of 10 was Designed For Blue, another stunning young horse coming in against the older entries. This one, by Designed, is a four-year-old owned by Tri-Color Ventures and shown by Jim Lowry. This was just the third official class for Designed For Blue, as he had hit the ring like a star at Indianapolis Charity but threw a shoe on his first pass. He went on to win classes at Midwest Charity and Blue Ridge before coming here. Romance In New York and Kenny Smith were third for Pettry and Ferguson, while Reedann’s Heir To Glory and Smith Lilly were fourth for Gary and Tammie Kale.
With an expected field of 18 of the very best Country Pleasure horses in the businesses, it was Lexington winner Sir Winston C that took the qualifier blue back to the Kierson Farm banner with Allyson Ehle aboard for Nancy Ehle. In just his first year showing under saddle, Sir Winston C has enjoyed great success already. He and Ally Ehle have teamed up for wins at Devon, Syracuse, Lexington, Children’s Benefit and Mid-Atlantic Fall Finale. This win was by far the biggest, as it was a field full of some of the most highly decorated horses in the division. Jessie Richardson made the run to the winner’s circle, taking a slight detour as she ran to the wrong side of the ring at first, but eventually making her way over to where ringmaster John Frye was waiting to make the blue ribbon presentation. Allyson was the Junior Exhibitor Country Pleasure winner here a year ago with Callaway’s Torchbearer. World’s Champion of Champions this year and winner of this class a year ago, League Of Nations was reserve with Carol Hillenbrand under the Carriage Lane banner. This was their first time all year not ending the class with a round of honor. They had won their previous 13 classes, dating back to the Kentucky Fall Classic last year. Another relative newcomer to the division, Jessie Cole lit up the Southeast circuit early this year with Andrea Athanasuleas. Purchased by James R. Dellinger Jr. for his daughter Amanda to show, Jessie Cole was third here, the same place she finished in her Louisville qualifier. Tremendously Charming and Kathy Capsuto Walker rounded out the top four in yet another tremendously consistent performance.
First of three events remaining on the Tuesday night slate, the Amateur Three-Gaited 15.2-and-Under class fielded a group of five. Yet another repeat winner earned the top spot, as Hillcroft Claret and Misdee Wrigley Miller brought the blue back to the Kalarama banner for Hillcroft Farm. By Kalarama Cabernet and out of Clarissa Co-Ed, Claret is a home-bred product of Hillcroft Farm. They were Reserve World’s Champions in this division earlier this year. SJ The Smart Lady (SA) was up for reserve with Holli Esposito in the irons. Trained by Rob Turner, this South African mare has a bright way of looking through the bridle that lands her consistently in the top prizes.
The choice of all three judges in the Roadster to Bike class was Alcazar. Teamed with Colby Herron and owned by Mike Herron, Alcazar made a well-received performance to race off with the blue. Anna Marie Dempsey was reserve with Geronimo with one of their best performances of the year. They have been partners since 2005.
Roman Marcos made the run to the winner’s circle in the Five-Gaited Mare class, as he brought out the winner as a young horse. This was Our Sweet Addison making the last pass with Kenny Smith up for Barbara Goodman Manilow. Shown to the blue at Carousel in March by Marcos, she was purchased by Barbara shortly thereafter. She made her debut with Kenny at Midwest Charity, winning a well-stocked Five-Gaited Mare class there as well. Barbara made the winning ride in the Amateur ranks at ASAW Summerfun, and now here was this high-headed Desert’s Supreme Admiral mare making a smoldering performance once again. Winner of this class last year and Reserve World’s Champion Mare the last two years, Callaway’s Karla was second here with Debbie Foley riding for Jo Ann Griffin. Five-Gaited Champions at Midwest, Foley and Karla made another of their strong performances tonight. A new face on the scene, Callaway’s Blaire was third with Todd Graham for Tannehill Farms. By Callaway’s Main Man, Blaire is out of a full sister to Callaway’s Born To Win. She looks destined for the Ladies or Junior Exhibitor division, where she will certainly make some waves.