Senior Citizen Jockey Brooks Wins Southwest Juvenile
Championship
HOBBS, New Mexico (December 2, 2007) -
Jockey Roy
Brooks, 66, found a great Social Security supplemental
plan on Sunday afternoon at Zia Park by winning the
$305,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship aboard
Furrtreeous.
"I guess I'm teaching the kids a lesson," an elated
Brooks said in the winner's circle.
Furrtreeous earned $147,925 for the win in :21.491
for the 440 yards.
The seemingly ageless rider got Freetreeous rolling
in the final 150 yards of the 440-yard stakes with the
setting sun in his young horse's eyes. "It was
Furrtreeous' first time here and he was lugging in
from the shadows and the sun was in his eyes," Brooks
said. "Still, he dug in."
Furrtreeous, third in the Grade 1 Heritage Place
Futurity, defeated Ruidoso Futurity runner-up Eye Of
Glory by a neck and favored A Streak Regard finished
third, three-quarters of a length back, in the field
of 11 very talented freshman sprinters. Ten of the 11
contestants had won or placed in a Grade 1 futurity.
The Southwest Juvenile Championship was inaugurated in
2006 and all of the 10 runners in the first running
had won or placed in a Grade 1 futurity.
Furrtreeous has had a superb 8-race season for his
owner-breeder Richard Joneson and trainer Luis
Villafranco, a top-two trainer on the Oklahoma
circuit. The Oak Tree Special-sired colt has won five
races, including the Gold Cup Futurity, and raced in
three Grade 1 futurities.
"This colt's been good since he started. He doesn't
like the 10 hole, so when we drew the nine hole, I
thought he'd do well," Villafranco said. "It was his
first start at 440 yards and he's a strong colt so I
knew he'd like the distance. Plus, there are no
trials."
The trainer said that the colt will now be rested and
probably return at Remington Park for the Remington
Park Derby and the Heritage Place Derby, each Grade 1
races at the Oklahoma City track.
Villafranco is having his best year with training
titles at Blue Ribbon Downs and Fair Meadows. He was
also second in the training race at Remington Park.
The Southwest Juvenile Championship victory was his
98th win this year and boosted him to fifth on the
leading trainers of money earners this year with his
charges earning more than $1.8 million.
Villafranco started the year by winning the Grade 2
Blue Ribbon Futurity and the Grade 1 Remington Park
Futurity with Miss Blue Chew. The filly led a 1-2-3
sweep of Villafranco horses in the Remington Park
Futurity. "We started strong and finished strong. It's
been a great year," he said.
"We came to Zia Park to win and thought we had a good
chance," said owner Joneson. "He's the most talented
horse we've ever had."
The Joneson family has started horses in two races at
Zia Park and has two stakes wins. Last year, their
Roto Rooster defeated favored Tricky Dust in the Black
Gold Casino Stakes. "We love it here. We'll be back,"
Joneson said.
Second-place finisher Eye Of Glory, owned by Johnny
Trotter, battled on the lead before giving way to
Furrtreeous in the last half of the race. The filly is
trained by Blane Wood, but was saddled in the
Southwest Juvenile Championship by Mike Joiner.
New Mexico-bred A Streak Regard was sent off as the
second choice on the strength of five wins and three
second-place efforts in eight starts before the
Southwest Juvenile Championship for trainer Juan
Gonzalez. He won the Grade 1 Zia Futurity at Ruidoso
Downs and the Grade 2 New Mexico Breeders Futurity.
Overlooked at 12-1 in the wagering, Furrtreeous
returned $24.20, $10 and $4.80. Eye Of Glory paid
$15.40 and $7.40 and A Streak Regard was worth $3.40
to show. Favored Possom Fust finished fourth.