SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Sept. 10, 2020) – The highly anticipated return of Stone Lake will take place Tuesday, Sept. 15 in the eighth running of the $80,520 Leader of the Class Sale Futurity. The standout two-year-old comes into the race undefeated in three starts this year, including his last outing in the $186,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity.
Hailing from the Tony Cunningham barn, Stone Lake made his debut just after racing resumed following the COVID-19 shutdown this past spring. The June 18 maiden-breaking win was an impressive effort at 250 yards followed up by a sweep in the Mobley Futurity trials and final running at 300 yards.
Stone Lake will step up to 350 yards for the Leader of the Class Sale Futurity with intentions of extending his win streak to four. The Escondido Beach gelding already has $119,000 on his card for owner Pattie Marshall, who purchased him as a yearling from the Speed Sale for $15,000 from breeder Sheri Miller. Stone Lake is the heavy favorite from post one at odds of 6-5 with L.D. “Danny” Martinez in the saddle. It will be his first start since the Mobley Futurity, which was nearly two months ago.
Joining Stone Lake as a major contender in the Leader of the Class Sale Futurity is Beach Stone from the Paul Martin barn. The Brimmstone gelding, also bred by Miller, finished second in his last start in one of the trials for the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity. Beach Stone seeks his second win in the stakes race and begins from post nine at odds of 6-1. Juan Marquez will be aboard the Stacy and Tyler Martin-owned freshman, who was a $5,700 purchase from the QHRAI Speed Sale last fall.
The Leader of the Class Sale Futurity is for two-year-olds that sold either as weanlings or yearlings the past two years at the QHRAI Speed Sale. The entire field, in post position order with jockey and odds, incudes: Stone Lake (L.D. Martinez, 6-5); Streakin James (Erik Esqueda, 8-1); Coronado Creek (Jose Ruiz, 10-1); Beach Blast (Sammy Mendez, 10-1); Relentless Princess (Oscar Macias, 10-1); HF Hells Bells (Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, 15-1); Beach Shakin (German Rodriguez, 20-1); Heza Fast Kisser (Antonio Rodriguez, 10-1); Beach Stone (Juan Marquez, 6-1); and Too Pretty to Catch (Natasha Fritz, 12-1).
Trainers Cunningham, Randy Smith and Erin Thompson all have two entrants in the race with Cunningham saddling Stone Lake and Beach Shakin, Smith saddling Streakin James and Beach Blast, and Thompson handling the conditioning for Coronado Creek and Relentless Princess. Estimated post time for the Leader of the Class Sale Futurity, the only Quarter Horse event on the card, is 6:30 p.m.
Photo by Coady Photography
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