Fortified Effort, Myrcella stars of Arizona Breeders’ Futurity Day
Fortified Effort and Foggia, the winners of November’s ATBA Fall Sales Stakes events, returned for their respective Arizona Breeders’ Futurity events on Dec. 9 at Turf Paradise, meeting different outcomes as odds-on favorites of their races.
Trapped behind horses until well into the stretch, Fortified Effort turned in a strong victory in the Colt and Gelding division, driving home as clearly best once he got an opening. The Ez Effort gelding won by a length over Oldtoytrain for trainer Kevin Eikleberry and an ownership group consisting of Eikleberry, J. Lloyd Yother, William Matthews and Marvin Fleming. The final time for six furlongs was 1:10.60.
Foggia, unbeaten in two previous starts, took a daylight lead almost to the wire of the Filly division but Myrcella, only third when the pair met last month, unleashed a rocket-force late run that saw her mow down the 1-5 favorite to win by a half-length. Molly Pearson trains the daughter of Tribal Rule, who is owned by Pearson and Regan Anderson. The filly division was a bit quicker: 1:10.53 for six furlongs.
It capped off a big double for Fleming Thoroughbred Farm, breeder of both Arizona Breeders’ Futurity events.
The Arizona Breeders’ Futurity day card also featured the Cactus Wren, a six and a half-furlong race for Arizona-breds or ATBA sale graduates. Five-year-old Shrewd Move justified his odds-on support by proving much the best, with the 3-year-olds in the field, Yo Y Me and Sedona Sunrise, in closest pursuit as he won by four and a quarter lengths. Dan McFarlane trains for Yeaman’s Racing Stables LLC, which bred the gelded son of Closing Argument with Peggy Hopwood in Kentucky. The final time was 1:15.89.
The Cactus Flower, a filly-and-mare counterpart to the Cactus Wren, was originally scheduled for Dec. 9 but is to be rescheduled.
Arizona Breeders’ Futurity (Fillies)
Arizona Breeders’ Futurity (Colts)
Cactus Wren
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