The 11-class Monday night series of performances featured classes mostly dominated by the boys in the ring — at least seven classes, anyway. The sentiment of the night was quality over quantity. The evening could easily be described as one of the best thus far.
The most-anticipated featured class was the 15.2 and over stallions class, the evening’s finale, but the amateur five-year-old stallions competition stole the show as Marty McFly with Janice Fostek easily took the evening’s spotlight.
Four world grand champions showed up for the 12-horse game featuring the industry’s best of the best and six were already world champions. Also, the winning horse of the class had already captured the three-year-old world grand championship two years ago with a different trainer.
The two-year-old splits were divided among three divisions — the only triple split of the show — with the C group perhaps making a major ordeal with Minor Ordeal winning unanimously with Tyler Baucom riding for Mona Dean. Patrick Thomas has had a great show thus far and he was on point again Monday night with Hollywood Nights for the reserve spot.
Prior to the C competition, however, a cool moment emerged when Joe Barnes bragged his winning rights for being owner of both winning entries in sections A and B. Rico Bravo rode Playing Gin to the top spot in the second section, and Scott Beaty rode Omaha to the top spot in the A division.
Paul Robbins showcased his winning entry in style as he rode Sophisticated to the win in the amateur gentleman’s show pleasure class ahead of Hello, Hello and Darden Gladney, who captured the crowd’s approval for the reserve championship in the seven-horse class.
The amateur fine harness competition kicked off the evening in unanimous fashion with Dr. Jack Kwok at the lines of winning entry Lined Royal Cash. Close behind were reserve champions In Ted’s Image and Ron Lawrence. Proving his drive’s easy, Lined Royal Cash also won the ladies class earlier in the show with Wilsene Moody-Kwok.
The five and over mares had their chance of winning with six making the gate. John Allan Callaway shut out the competition aboard Nevermore for Dr. Barbara Moersch with Jimmy McConnell consistently carrying the red streamers out with Ruby Lipstick for Don Bullock Jr.
Other highlights included an appreciated performance by Mr. Heisman and Robin MacDonald. They earned a unanimous big win in the elite amateur ladies on stallions with Gayle Holcomb holding her own for the second position with Border Run.
Eight showed up for the second to last class of the night with half of the entries being world grand champions. One of those happened to be the well-deserved winner José’s Centerfold and Bill Williams taking the top spot.
Three of the five in the final night of the class were world grand champions and all had their crowd support in the 15.2 and under stallions competition. Tyler Baucom was on the money Monday night and closed out the evening with the best position with Mr. Country Gentleman. Owner Robert Deutsch had won earlier in the week with this horse in the amateur elite division for the gentlemen.