IntheMoney 01-IchisMyChoice 14NR

In the Money: Semifinalist Sale Horses

IntheMoney 01-IchisMyChoice 14NRIchis My Choice, who made headlines as a $300,000 sale horse, will try to take the spotlight again in the NCHA Super Stakes Open semifinals. • Photo by Nina Rosenbeck

For many people, Friday, April 15, is important because it’s Tax Day. But for the connections of 60 elite horses, Tax Day is also the day the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes Open semifinalists will compete for a chance to advance to the finals.

For some owners, it’s been a long road already. Breeders who still own their homebreds have already invested five years in the now 4-year-old equine athletes. Other owners invested financially, picking their future stars out of various auctions.

Of the 60 Open semifinalists, 18 went through a sale ring at some point in their lives. That’s 30 percent of the field. Those 18 sale horses were sired by 12 different stallions, and four had the distinction of being consigned more than once.

Ichis My Choice sold the first time as a yearling, when she was tagged for $5,200 out of the Western Bloodstock Producers Sale. Todd Nelson signed the ticket and teamed up with Richard Jordan to start the EE Ranches-bred mare under saddle. A year later, Nelson consigned Ichis My Choice to the NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale, where she sold for $300,000 to J Five Horse Ranch Management LLC. An Open finalist at the NCHA Futurity and Arbuckle Mountain Futurity, Ichis My Choice has already made more than $60,000. Grant Setnicka, who rode her to the Open Reserve Championship at The Cattlemen’s Derby, will ride the Cat Ichi daughter as the 27th draw in the semifinals.

Kittys Ruby was also a profitable pinhook venture when she sold the first time for $35,000 and the second for $60,000. Chad Bushaw’s Crown Ranch LP bought Kittys Ruby as a yearling from breeder Sunrise Ranch LLC at the Select Yearling Sale and Gala. She sold the second time at the NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale, where Dan and Nancy Burkes signed the ticket.

Trainer Kenny Platt skipped the NCHA Futurity with Kittys Ruby, who has already earned $11,653. Together, they made the Open finals at the Idaho Futurity and The Ike Derby. Chris Hanson will ride the Dual Rey daughter as the 58th draw in the semifinals.

Oswaldo Celis paid $30,000 for Doctor Livingston at the Select Yearling Sale and Gala, then turned down $59,000 at the NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale. Chris Johnsrud will be aboard the Smooth As A Cat son from semifinals draw 52. A Cat Named Pink sold for $12,000 as a yearling at the 2013 Preferred Breeders Sale Session 2 and sold again for $42,000 at the NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale. Fons de Barbanson rides A Cat Named Pink as the 18th draw in the semifinals.

IntheMoney 02-BeaCatsCat 13SPBea Cats Cat was a $155,000 repurchase as a yearling and was an NCHA Futurity Open semifinalist. • Photo by Stacy Pigott

Two other high-dollar sale horses are in the semifinals. Bea Cats Cat was passed out of the Select Yearling Sale and Gala for $155,000 by breeders Jim and Marilyn Crawford, and was later sold privately to Rocking L Cutting Horses. Also at the Select Yearling Sale, Jimmie Miller Smith paid $150,000 for Denvers Purdy, bred by Tejas Trading Company. Paul Hansma will show both horses – Bea Cats Cat as draw 2 and Denvers Purdy as draw 48.

IntheMoney 03-DenversPurdy 13SPDenvers Purdy was an NCHA Futurity Open finalist and has already made back nearly $40,000 of his $150,000 price tag. • Photo by Stacy Pigott

Here’s how the 18 sale horses broke down by age and average:

IntheMoney Age-Chart

IntheMoney Averages-Chart

Here are the horses and the sales they went through:

  • $300,000, Ichis My Choice (Cat Ichi x My Little Abra x Abrakadabracre), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale and $5,200 at the Western Bloodstock Producers Sale
  • $155,000 (RNA), Bea Cats Cat (High Brow Cat x Mae Bea Marie x Freckles Playboy), 2013 Select Yearling Sale & Gala
  • $150,000, Denvers Purdy (Metallic Cat x Purdy Aristocrat x Smart Aristocrat), 2013 Select Yearling Sale & Gala
  • $62,000, Doc Holirey (Dual Rey x Hissy Cat x High Brow Cat), 2013 Select Yearling Sale & Gala
  • $61,000, Autumn Rey (Dual Rey x Autumn White x Smart Little Lena), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale
  • $60,000, Kittys Ruby (Dual Rey x Cats Ruby x High Brow Cat), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale and $35,000 at the 2013 Select Yearling Sale & Gala
  • $59,000 (RNA), Doctor Livingston (Smooth As A Cat x Lil Lucy Long Legs x Dual Pep), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale and $30,000 at the 2013 Select Yearling Sale & Gala
  • $42,000, A Cat Named Pink (Smooth As A Cat x Pinkys Little Sue x Peptoboonsmal), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale and $12,000 at the 2013 Preferred Breeders Sale Session 2
  • $36,000, CR Lucys Playboy (Pepto Rio Playboy x DPs Lenas Lucinda x Dual Pep), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale
  • $32,000, Milliondollar Baby 2 (Smooth As A Cat x Little Pepto Gal x Peptoboonsmal), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale
  • $20,000, Looking For Caviar (WR This Cats Smart x Hannalena Jewel x Lenas Jewel Bars), 2012 Husby Cutting Horses Complete Dispersal
  • $18,000 (RNA), Blues Hot (Spots Hot x Blue Boon Cat x High Brow Cat), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale
  • $18,000, Heza Sea Hawk (EBR Kitty Hawk x Miss Sea Rey x Dual Rey), 2013 Preferred Breeders Sale Session 2
  • $10,000, The Reyl Mccoy (Dual Rey x Cool The Engines x Smart Little Lena), 2013 NCHA Summer Select Yearling Sale
  • $9,000, Tof Smooth Operator (Smooth As A Cat x Rio CD Yadayadayada x CD Olena), 2013 Preferred Breeders Sale Session 2
  • $8,700, Wendels Little Missy (High Brow CD x Justa Lil Freck x Bobs Freckle), 2014 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale
  • $8,500, Moms Stylish Player (Lizzys Gotta Player x Moms Stylish Babe x Docs Stylish Oak), 2013 Preferred Breeders Sale Session 2
  • $2,900, Stylish Look Bella (Dual Smart Rey x Stylishious x Docs Stylish Oak), 2013 NCHA Summer Spectacular Sale

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