The 14-year-old dark bay mare La La La La, owned and ridden by Kelly Gannon, won the $7,500 Hillwood Jumper Stakes at the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show held in the Pimlico infield near Baltimore, Md. on June 25.
Nearly $20,000 in purse money was distributed, and close to $7,000 was raised to benefit Beyond the Wire, the thoroughbred program launched last year by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association to care for race horses after their racing days are done.
At this year's show, ticket sales and entry fees totaled $6,967, all going to Beyond the Wire, and since 2012, the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show has raised nearly $70,000 to benefit thoroughbred aftercare organizations.
La La La La was bred in Virginia by Melinda Mills and raced through 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Charlestown in West Virginia, winning twice with three seconds and five thirds to earn $34,111.
Owned by Richard L. Mills, Jr., La La La La was trained by Timothy Collins to win a Maiden Claiming race in October, 2008 and, one month later, ridden by Emanuel Ramirez, won a $15,000 Claiming race for $6,000 down to $5,000 claimers.
With her win at the Totally Thoroughbred show, La La La La showed she has made a successful transition from racehorse to show horse and is enjoying her new career.
My Name's Shane and Jackpot Lady shared the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program title with 14 points apiece.
My Name's Shane never raced, but Nothing But Fire, a 10-year-old bay gelding bred in Florida by Larry E. Altman, raced an incredible 44 times, winning twice with six seconds and seven thirds to earn $62,198.
Starting his race career at Penn National in 2010, Nothing But Fire finished twice there and then raced through 2014 at Charlestown, where he won a Maiden Claiming race on Nov. 26, 2010 and on Sept. 20, 2012 won an $11,400 Claiming race for claimers $5,000 to $4,500 for owner Jill Adriani, trained by Erik R. Billings and ridden by Alcibiades Cortez.
He also raced a few times in allowance races, finishing third four times in allowance races.
Despite all those starts, Nothing But Fire must have retired sound and is just three years off his last race to transition to a successful show horse.
The show was judged by Rodney Jenkins, who, among many champions, also rode Idle Dice to win over $400,000, which in today's prize money could be triple that. Jenkins, who is in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, now trains race horses and is based at Laurel.
The show was also judged by Timmy Kees, a recognized USEF judge and a Show Hunter Hall of Famer, and Kirchner Magrogan, a MHSA-rated judge of up to 15 events a year.
Other winners included Truckin' Gold, owned and shown by Terry West, first in the $1,000 Dark Hollow Farm Open Hunter Class,
Division champions included Jennifer Campbell's My Name's Shane, ridden by Nicole Wood in Open Working Hunter, Betty McCue and Nancy Hale's Oregon Ridge, ridden by Courtney Somers, in Low Hunter A, and Nothing But Fire, owned and ridden by Terry West in Low Hunter B.