Saturday afternoon’s $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix saw a field of 33 entries vying for the win over a course build by Peter Grant of Canada. The winding track featured a double combination and a triple combination. Sixteen entries found clear first rounds but only seven managed to jump double clear, with Olympic rider, Santiago Lambre and his own The Diamant Rose Z taking the class by almost three seconds in the jump-off.
Last to enter the ring, Lambre and new mount The Diamant Rose Z (Diamant Z x Toulon) produced a quick and clean first round stopping the clock at 75.130 seconds.
Lambre shared his strategy, “I was the last to go, so I saw how many strides previous riders did, so I knew what I had to do to win the class. For the last two fences, I went really fast before the second to last jump so I could wait in the last [bending] line,” said Lambre.
Lambre and the 10-year-old Zangershiede mare advanced to the jump off immediately, delivering tight turns and forward distances to stop the clock at 36.463 seconds, more than two and half seconds faster than second place finishers, Roberto Daza and Bella Olympic.
Roberto Daza and his own Bella Olympic started off strong, producing a clean first round in 72.988 seconds, well under the time allowed of 79 seconds. Daza and his careful Dutch Warmblood mare advanced straight to the jump-off, taking inside turns to stop the clock at 39.016 seconds with all rails up.
The third place finishers, Shawn Casady and Two Socks Farm LLC’s Quentin VA were early leaders in the class. Casady and Quentin VA found previous success in the class, being the sixth place finishers in last week’s Futures Prix. The pair produced a quick and clean first round, soaring to the top of the standards to stop the first-round timers at 73.829 seconds. Casady and the eight-year-old Holsteiner stallion started the jump-off strong, leaving out a stride from fence one to two. Casady and Quentin VA (Quarz x Trixie) galloped through the timers stopping the clock at 39.745 seconds, just behind Daza and Bella Olympic.
$10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix Results:
1. The Diamant Rose Z, Santiago Lambre, Santiago Lambre: 0 | 0 | 36.463
2. Bella Olympic, Roberto Daza, Roberto Daza: 0 | 0 | 39.016
3. Quentin VA, Shawn Casady, Two Socks Farm LLC: 0 | 0 | 39.745
4. Cascalretto, Vanessa Hood, Take Two LLC: 0 | 0 | 41.661
5. Anis De la Piece, Sheer Levitin, Sheer Levitin: 0 | 0 | 41.847
6. Madeira SCF, Fernando Cardenas, Fernando Cardenas: 0 | 0 | 42.663
7. Hickory HBC, Justine Dutton, The Superman Syndicate LLC: 0 | 0 | 44.819
8. Love Scendix, Sheer Levitin, Sheer Levitin: 0 | 4 | 38.479
9. Con Spirit, Nathalie Petschenig, Nathalie Petschenig: 0 | 4 | 39.177
10. Infante SK, Marcus Gruenthal, Marcus Gruenthal: 0 | 4 | 39.193
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
