FortuneBend Banuelos

Fortune Bend, Banuelos Win PCCHA Classic Open

FortuneBend BanuelosFortune Bend and Cookie Banuelos • photo by Midge AmesLas Vegas trainer Cookie Banuelos and 5-year-old stallion Fortune Bend followed their first-go leading 224 from Monday (pictured) with a 225 during Wednesday’s finals to capture the Classic/Challenge Open title and $12,153 during the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association (PCCHA)/Core Balance Derby at South Point Arena in Las Vegas.

Jerry and Theresa Gillock, Las Vegas, Nev., own the horse (One Time Pepto x Stylish Baby Doll x SR Instant Choice), bred and originally owned by Walton’s Rocking W Ranch, Millsap, Texas. Fortune Bend headed to the show with $43,954 in prior career earnings, according to Equi-Stat records.

Co-Reserve Champions My Lizzy Babe (Lizzys Gotta Player x Moms Stylish Babe x Docs Stylish Oak) a 6-year-old mare ridden by Tim Smith, Temecula, Calif., and This Kittys Smart (WR This Cats Smart x Nurse Gray x Grays Starlight), a 5-year-old mare ridden by Morgan Cromer, Templeton, Calif., posted  222s to earn $9,700 each. John Kratzer, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., owns My Lizzy Babe, a prior earner of $111,375. Cable Creek Ranch, Aurora, Ore., owns This Kittys Smart, a prior career earner of $22,738. This Kittys Smart and Cromer had won the Classic/Challenge Open finals at the March PCCHA/Holy Cow Winter Round Up with a 227.

The PCCHA/Core Balance Derby continues through Sunday at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

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