News - Racing March  28, 2024

Rl First Dash Sets the Fastest Time in Trials for $434,538 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Fair Grounds


Rl First Dash, under jockey Eddie Sanchez, cruises to the top qualifying time from 11 trails for the $434,538 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Fair Grounds Race Course.

© Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir

By Martha Claussen

NEW ORLEANS, LA—AUGUST 17, 2018—The second day of the 2018 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Quarter Horse season featured 11 trials for the $434,538 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1). It was a huge day for the Sanchez brothers, trainer Jose and jockey Eddie, as they combined for five wins on the card, qualifying four to the final.

Rl First Dash ($6.40), owned by Rogelio Marquez, Jr. won the fourth trial in :17.352. Bred by Weetona Stanley and Raymond Loup, the son of Jess Louisiana Blue out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Pyc First Prize Dash was a $17,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale purchase.

Trained by Jose Sanchez, III, the gelding was making just his third lifetime start under rider Eddie Sanchez. He won his trial for the Laddie Futurity, but did not qualify and ran again in trials for the Lee Berwick, where he was bumped and finished third.

Handling a sloppy track with ease, the brown gelding broke cleanly and drew off by a margin of 1-¼ lengths over Tan Jet, earning a 101 speed index.

Amending The Bar defeated fellow qualifier Guidry Pride II in the 10th trial to set the second fastest time.
© Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
"We liked him at the sale and even last year, felt that the LQHBA Sale Futurity would be a good fit," said Marquez. "Everyone at the farm thought he would be a good one."

Marquez, the LQHBA 2017 champion owner, watched the trial from Ruidoso Downs, where he ran one in All American Futurity trials and supplemented his champion filly, Dashnunder Afullmoon to Sunday's All American Derby trials.

The Sanchez brothers teamed up again for a sharp win by Amending The Bar for owner Julio Caesar Ramirez, who won the tenth trial of the afternoon in :17.374, which was the second-fastest clocking of the day. A filly by Five Bar Cartel bred by Ray and Brenda Trahan qualified for the Lassie Futurity, running sixth in the final. This afternoon, she held off a late rush from Guidry Pride II, who set the third fastest time in his runner-up effort.

The Sanchez Brothers, trainer Jose Luis III, and jockey Eddie, qualified four of the top five finalist for the LQHBA Sale Futurity(RG1).
© Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
The also qualified Lee Berwick runner-up Mr Coahuila won the fifth trial in :17.454 for owner Emmanuel Villarreal. The son of Game Patriot was bred by Roy Simon. Their fourth finalist is Zoom by Me, also owned by Marquez, who won the sixth trial in :17.430. The filly by Heza Fash Dash was bred by Lyle Guillory and has won two of her three career starts.

"It was a great day for us," said Sanchez. "The way they all handled the sloppy track was really good, but the biggest surprise was Rl First Dash. He made some errors, we liked him due to his size and mind. He has always been a smart horse."

The Sanchez brothers are not the only family affair to root for in the September 8th final as Guidry Pride II, with a qualifying time of :17.409 seconds, is trained by Wendy Garcia and ridden by her brother Juan. Bred by Johnny and Cynthia Guidry, the colt is sired by Sir Runaway Dash out of Guidrys Boodie Doo, a winning homebred daughter of champion Panther Mountain, and was purchased for just $6,500 at last year's LQHBA Yearling Sale. He was the winner of the $294,292 Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2) at Louisiana Downs last March for owner Edmundo Juarez.

To view the complete list of the qualifiers, with owners, breeders, jockeys and trainers, CLICK HERE. They will return for the final with a record purse, which is set for Saturday, September 8.

Opening weekend action for the Fair Grounds 2018 live Quarter Horse season continues on Saturday, August 18 with the running of the $40,000 Audubon and $25,000 Gentilly Dash.


Courtesy Ses