Dashunder Afullmoon Dominates Louisiana Champions Day QH Juvenile

Dashnunder Afullmoon, under jockey Eddie Sanchez, wins the Louisiana Champions Day QH Juvenile at Fair Grounds Saturday.

© Lou Hodges Photography

Under jockey Eddie Sanchez, the daughter of leading sire Heza Fast Dash was a wire-to-wire one-length winner over Second Down Leaving. Jls Dash N Fire finished another half-length back to take third.

"I knew the first time I worked her at Sam Houston that she was very special," Sanchez after the win. "She did it so easily today."

Conditioned by trained Saul Ramirez, Jr., Dashunder Afullmoon completed the 350 yards on track rated 'Good' in :17.468 seconds, a 96 speed index with a 12 mph tailwind. It was the fifth career win in six starts the filly and the $45,000 winners' purse boosted her career total $572,859.

Owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr. purchased the brown filly for $44,500 at the 2016 LQHBA Yearling Sale. D & S Racing LLC bred Dashunder Afullmoon from the stakes winning Dash Ta Fame mare Full Moon Dasher. This is the family of champion and leading sire First Moonflash.

"Today she showed her heart and does what she does best. I'm grateful to God. Eddie did a great job and we have all the faith in him," owner Marquez, Jr. said.

A leading contender 2017 championship honors Dashunder Afullmoon won the Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity(RG1) and the LQHBA Lassie Futurity(RG2) earlier this year. She was hoping to complete a "Louisiana Triple Crown" when she suffered her only loss in the Louisiana Million Futurity trials November 17.

"Winning this prestigious race is a great feeling for me and my dad. I think this probably secured her Louisiana champion filly honors," Marquez, Jr. added.

Coming off a win in the Louisiana Million trials on November 17, Second Down Leaving picked up $17,000 for his second-place effort.

Javier Contreras trains the Coronas Leaving Your gelding for owners Victor Alvarado and Eualio Argote. Also second in the RG1 LQHBA Sale Futurity at the Fair Grounds last summer, Second Down Leaving has banked $116,788 this year. Grant Farms LLC bred the 2-year-old from the Mr Jess Perry mare Second Down Perry.

The lightly raced graded stakes winner Jls Dash N Fire earned $10,000 for third. Kenneth Roberts, Sr. conditions the Heza Fast Dash colt for owner T M Ranch. Bred by Jls-Speed Horse Ranch Inc., Jls Dash N Fire won the RG2 LQHBA Laddie Futurity last Many at Delta Downs.

Out of the Osceola Warrior mare Psalmist, Jls Dash N Fire has compiled a (4) 2-1-1 record and earned $150,470 in 2017.

Completing the field were Blue Eye Fance, Eyesa Game, Miss Tee Lajolla, Piloto Shiner, Sha Boo Yah, Cos I Get It, Jrs Natural Runaway, Fabulously Black and Yumyumcomegetyousome.

Additional reporting courtesy Martha Claussen.