Industry News
Sarenadual, James Payne Surge Into Classic/Challenge Open with Wildcard-Best 222
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 15 July 2012
- Written by Mark Thompson
Sarenadual, a 2006 mare who has made limited-age Amateur, Non-Pro and Open cutting finals with owner Kathleen Moore and trainer James Payne, marked a 222 with Payne to top Sunday’s Wildcard Round and qualify for Monday’s Classic/Challenge Open finals.
Sarenadual (Dual Pep x Sarenalena x Smart Little Lena), a prior career earner of $82,858, and Payne, Marietta, Okla., led Sunday’s 18-horse competition and earned one of the three remaining spots in Monday’s Open finals while competing from the leadoff draw. Moore, Madill, Okla., owns the mare, bred by Slate River Ranch, Weatherford, Texas.
Mates Mister Sunette, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Rob and Carrie Tiemann, Pflugervillle, Texas, and ridden by the couple’s resident trainer, Jonathan Rogers, posted a 221.5 to also earn one of three remaining spots in Monday’s 25-horse Open finals. The horse (Smart Mate x Peppys Sunette x Ima Little Peppier) had earned about $72,000.
Last July’s NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby Open Champions Stylish Martini and Roger Wagner earned the third of Monday’s three remaining slots with a 219.5 Wildcard score. Stylish Martini (Docs Stylish Oak x Miss Martini Play x Freckles Playboy) a 2007 mare bred and owned by Marvine Ranch, Meeker, Colo., has already earned more than $200,000 with Wagner in the saddle during her cutting career.
Five more horses in Monday’s Open finals (Reys Desire, Arosesuchaclatter, Little Pepto Cat, Rockin W and One Time Royalty) have also already earned more than $200,000.
Cat A Rey, Brad Mitchell Post Top Two-Go Score
Cat A Rey and Brad Mitchell qualified for their third limited-age finals in seven trips to Fort Worth with a two-go best 222-219-441 composite during last week's early Classic/Challenge Open competition at the National Cutting Horse Association Summer Spectacular in Will Rogers Coliseum.
The 6-year-old stallion (Dual Rey x Sheza Smart Cat x High Brow Cat), bred and raised by Barbara and Kix Brooks’ Painted Springs Farm, LLC, Nashville, Tenn., cruised into Monday’s finals with a two-go best 222-219-441 composite score.
Rockin W (Dual Rey x Boon San Kitty x High Brow Cat), a 2006 stallion who won the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open finals in Fort Worth with a then-record 229, and his new rider this year, Phil Rapp, Weatherford, Texas, sailed into the finals with a two-go 218-220.5-438.5 effort.
George C Merada (Cats Merada x Lenas Stylish Bunny x Docs Stylish Oak), a 2006 gelding bred and owned by Furst Ranch, Bartonville, Texas, and his career-long pilot John Wold, also tied for the second-best composite with a 221-217.5-438.5.
It took a two-go 434 to make Monday’s Classic/Challenge Open finals. Horses with 431 to 435.5 composites still have a shot during Sunday’s Wildcard Round.
Cat A Rey, a career earner of $163,104 as a cutter so far, and Mitchell placed 16th during the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open finals. Following a hot quit during the first round at his first show, the horse and Mitchell bounced back with a second-go 223. They placed sixth during the 2010 NCHA Super Stakes Derby Open finals and reached three Open semifinals during their five prior visits to Fort Worth.
“It’s much better to start with a 222,” Mitchell said in comparing the duo’s last Fort Worth limited-age event to their first event there. “That takes a lot of the pressure off. Whether he wins or not [in Monday’s finals], I just want to let him go in there and have a really good run, and do what he does.”
The horse was weakened by colic symptoms prior to his first finals as a 3-year-old, and then bothered by breathing problems during parts of his 4 and 5-year-old seasons. He finally regained full health late last year.
“He’s as good as he’s been any of the three years that we’ve showed him,” Mitchell said. While competing well at limited-age shows this year, Cat A Rey has also competed at occasional any-age weekend shows with Mitchell. He ranked sixth in the NCHA Open any-age division as of July 9. If Cat A Rey finishes among the year-end top 15, he and Mitchell will compete in Fort Worth again during late fall’s NCHA World Finals.
Cat A Rey, also the 2010 Augusta Futurity Open and 2012 Augusta Classic/Challenge Open Co-Reserve Champion with Mitchell, figures to earn more than $200,000 by the end of his 6-year-old season. They'll also have teamed up to earn more than $100,000 together in Fort Worth.
“He’s one of the best ones, and maybe the best one, I’ve ever ridden,” Mitchell said.
