SweetBabyMarie MMiller 102716

Sweet Baby Marie Wins Again

SweetBabyMarie MMiller 102716Sweet Baby Marie & Matt Miller • Photo by Kelsey PecsekAfter a stellar futurity season, Sweet Baby Marie and Matt Miller wrapped up the year with a victory at the Southern Cutting Futurity in Jackson, Mississippi. In a tight race, they edged their competition by a half-point for the Futurity Open Championship.

Sweet Baby Marie (High Brow CD x Hangem High Pep x Hickorys Indian Pep), bred by Grace Ranch Inc., of Jennings, Louisiana, carried Miller to a 219.5 for the win, which paid $15,000 to owner Joel Colgrove Sr., of Boligee, Alabama. Miller, an Equi-Stat Elite $2 Million Rider from Poolville, Texas, also finished third and 12th in the Derby Open for an additional $10,600.

With an Equi-Stat record of nearly $40,000 going into the Southern, Sweet Baby Marie has continued gaining momentum in her 3-year-old year. The mare topped the West Texas Futurity with a 222 in early August, then won the Idaho Cutting Futurity Open later in the month. After making the finals at two other major limited-age events, she was poised for success in Jackson.

Along with the $15,000 Sweet Baby Marie earned for her Southern Championship, she pocketed $2,100 for finishing first in the Stallion Incentive. All told, the mare now boasts an Equi-Stat record of more than $55,000.

James Payne, of Overbrook, Oklahoma, piloted Ichis Snicker Doodle (Cat Ichi x Snicker Roo x SR Instant Choice) to the Futurity Open Reserve Championship with a 219. Kathleen Moore, who owns the EE Ranches-bred mare, took home $12,500 to Madill, Oklahoma, for the title.

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