Micmac Warrior Sets Sights on $303,777 LQHBA Sale Futurity(RG1) on Saturday

Fastest qualifier Micmac Warrior will head the $303,777 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.

© Lou Hodges Photography

NEW ORLEANS, LA—AUGUST 31, 2015—A very solid group of accredited Louisiana-breds will close out the Fair Grounds Race Course Quarter Horse meet in style on Saturday, September 5. The ten finalists from trials on August 15 return to action in the $303,777 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1).

Fastest qualifier, Micmac Warrior won his 350-yard trial in a blazing :17.724 seconds under rider Alfonso Lujan. It was a maiden-breaking score for the son of Heza Fast Dash out of the Village Hero mare Sneaking N Dashing. Kenny Patton of Patton Farms bred Micmac Warrior.

It will be a bittersweet moment for Patton and his wife, Phyllis, should Micmac Warrior return to the winner's circle on Saturday. Patton owned Sneaking N Dashing, who sadly, died foaling earlier this year.

"I raised her and bought her back in the 2003 LQHBA Yearling Sale," said Patton. "She was a hard-knocking race mare; placed most of the time."

Patton retired his homebred, who produced five foals in her second career as a broodmare.

"She was pretty awesome; each of her colts earned 90 or better speed indexes on the track," added Patton.

Ryan Robicheaux put together an ownership group named We All In Racing, LLC, and they paid $22,000 for MicMac Warrior at the 2014 LQHBA Yearling Sale. They retained Trey Ellis to train their charge, who admits that patience was an important ingredient in winning the fourth start of Micmac Warrior's career.

Doug Traylor's Telarosa was the second fastest qualifier.
© Lou Hodges Photography

Lujan will guide Micmac Warrior from post position seven in for Saturday's final.

"He is a really nice horse," said the rider."I galloped him on Wednesday (August 26) and he was jumping out of his skin. He's finally figuring it out."

Ellis will also saddle Tellem Shes Game, a daughter of Game Patriot, bred by Philip P. Deville. She will break next to Micmac Warrior under Saul Ramirez, Jr.

"She was one of my fastest 2-year-olds in training," Ellis said. "It took her a few days to come back after the trials, but she's doing really well and definitely can run."

A contender getting quite a bit of attention is Doug Traylor's Telarosa, a Jet Black Patriot filly, who was the second fastest qualifier on August 15. Trained by Kenneth Roberts, Sr., she bobbled out of the gate, but still came flying under Lucas Constantin to notch the second-fastest clocking of the day of :17.729 seconds.

Telarosa was bred by James Magnon, and Traylor signed a $30,000 ticket at last year's LQHBA Yearling Sale for the daughter of Jet Black Patriot out of the Hennessy(TB) mare Presumptuous(TB).

"We knew her dam had produced some nice runners," stated Traylor. "Kenny liked her conformation and we were looking for a yearling that would get 400 yards."

"She came out of her trial really well," added Traylor. "We skipped the Lee Berwick consolation (on July 11) at Delta. She really improved in her Fair Grounds race; she acted like she knew what she is supposed to be doing on the racetrack."

This would be the second win in the LQHBA Sale Futurity for Traylor from Katy, Texas. The roofing businessman owned 2012 champion, Dashin Gage, also trained by Roberts.

Roberts second entrant, The Renaissance Man, may be overlooked as the tenth-fastest qualifier, but the son of Coronas Leaving You is a game 2-year-old. He has already won $133,527, finishing second in the Laddie Futurity and third in the Lee Berwick Futurity on the closing day of the Delta Downs meet. Patrick Watson will ride for owners Chad Hart and Bobby D. Cox.

Michael Taylor won the training title at the 2015 Delta Downs meet and has two contenders in the LQHBA Sale Futurity. Carry On Game, a Game Patriot filly owned by Mary Ellen Hickman, was the third-fastest qualifier, recording a time of :17.762.

"She came back exceptionally well," said Taylor. "She looks to step up and run a big race."

Taylor and Raymond Loup own Rl Blue Picture, a gelded son of Jess Louisiana Blue, who notched the fifth-fastest qualifying time, running second to Telarosa.

"He was pretty green in his first races," noted Taylor. "But he came back well from his trial and we are looking for improvement in his fifth start."

The LQHBA Sale Futurity had its first running in 1984 with a $87,970 purse; this year the winner will receive a check in the amount of $121,510. The six-figure final is another incentive for horsemen purchasing a Louisiana-bred at the annual LQHBA Yearling Sale. Each yearling sale graduate is eligible to run in both the LQHBA Sale Futurity and the $1 million LQHBA Breeders Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs, with trials set for November 6.

"We are proud of the talented champions that have won the LQHBA Sale Futurity and look forward to an outstanding final on Saturday," said Tony Patterson, executive director of the LQHBA. "The significant purses for our Sale Futurity and Breeders Futurity would not be possible without the loyalty of the breeders who consign the yearlings and horsemen who support our sale. We wish all the best to each of the connections"

Saturday's card will also include the $33,753 LQHBA Sale Invitational Stakes for 2-year-olds that ran in the opening day trials, but did not record the ten fastest times. Post time is 12:30 p.m.

Here is the field, in post position order, with riders, for the LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) to be run at Fair Grounds on Saturday, September 5:

1. The Renaissance Man/ Patrick Watson
2. Jet Black Zoomer / Antonio Alberto
3. Telarosa / Lucas Constantin
4. Miss Mallard Struts/ Jose Rodriguez
5. RL Blue Picture / Raul Ramirez, Jr.
6. Shades of Buck / Randy Edison
7. Micmac Warrior / Alfonso Lujan
8. Tellem Shes Game / Saul Ramirez, Jr.
9. Carry on Game / Garrett Medina
10. Zoominforgrady / Juan Marquez

Martha Claussen served as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park for ten years and continues to be active in writing, fan education and Quarter Horse racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana and other regions in North America.