Photo by Roberta Harris/Ruidoso Downs

Cold Cash 123 Gives Trainer Gilbreath Record-Extending Seventh Rainbow Derby Win

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 23, 2011) – Favored Cold Cash 123 made his expected late charge to give hall of fame trainer Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath a record-extending seventh Grade 1 Rainbow Derby victory on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The nearly $899,524 purse broke the previous record Rainbow Derby purse of $873,441 set last year. Cold Cash 123 earned $449,762, a record winner’s share for the Rainbow Derby. The Rainbow Derby is the year’s third richest race for three-year-old or older quarter horses.

Bodacious Dash finished a neck behind Cold Cash 123 for second place while it was just a nose further back to third-place finisher DM Streakn Thru Fire.

“I needed this one bad,” said Gilbreath. “It’s been awhile since I’ve won one.”

Gilbreath, a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame, previously won the Rainbow Derby in 2001 with Feature Mr Jess. That victory concluded a run of three-straight wins in the Rainbow Derby. He won his first Rainbow Derby in 1992 with Ed Grimley.

Cold Cash 123 and jockey Roy Baldillez, starting from the ninth post position, needed every jump of the 440 yards to get the win in :21.229 over a track turned sloppy by a thunderstorm earlier in the afternoon. Baldillez won the 2000 Rainbow Derby aboard the Gilbreath-trained Significant Speed.

 “He broke super and the inside horses (Bodacious Dash and DM Streakn Thru Fire, were out there (in front), but they didn’t run away from him,” said Baldillez. “He was getting a hold of the track and he loves 440 yards.”

Owned by Walter and Carolyn Bay’s T Bill Stable, Cold Cash 123 is now undefeated at five starts over 440 yards and is the only horse in recent memory to have three of those quarter-mile wins come as a two-year-old. During his two-year-old season in 2010, he won the Grade 1 Southwest Juvenile Championship, the All American Juvenile and his All American Futurity trial at the distance. In his 440-yard Rainbow Derby trial he approached the track record when he won with the fastest-qualifying mark of :20.762. The track record of :20.073 was set in the 2006 Rainbow Derby by Strawkins.

“I was a little bit concerned about the off track, but I liked the post position and he broke well. We’ll go the All American Derby next,” said Gilbreath, winner of two AllAmerican derbies. The trials to the Grade 1, $1.35-million (est.) All American Derby, quarter horse racing’s richest race for older horses, are on August 19.

Johnny Trotter’s Bodacious Dash, the 4-1 third choice, put in game effort under jockey Ricky Ramirez for second. He won the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park to conclude his two-year-old season and he won his Rainbow Derby trial over DM Streakn Thru Fire.

The second-place check of $143,924 pushed his career earnings to $683,020 from 12 starts.

 “He ran a good race. We’re really proud of him,” trainer Blane Wood said.

Third-place finisher DM Streakn Thru Fire, a 13-1 long shot from the Mike Joiner barn, was a close third behind Bodacious Dash in the Texas Classic Futurity and the fifth-place finisher in the Grade 1, $2-million All American Futurity.

The remaining order of finish was JLS Mr Bigtime, Royally Sandra, First Down Master, Llano Teller, Dominyun, Jess Before Dawn and Giorgino. Video