There is an escape artist from Owasso trying to win the $2.6 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Monday, and his name is Houdini.
This race is considered the quarter horse breed's version of the Kentucky Derby, and Houdini could just pull off some magic for Owasso owner Allen Kennedy, 68. The horse actually runs under the ownership of the Ellen Kennedy Living Trust, which is Kennedy's tribute to his late mother. She had been in the racing and horse breeding business since 1963 before dying in 2010.
"She was 92 years old and very active, and one day she went to the doctor because she was feeling tired and was told that she had leukemia, and from the blood results it appeared she only had about one week to live," Kennedy said. "But she took it in stride.
"Dad passed away that same year. I talked to Mom after the diagnosis and she said, 'Just enjoy life and be happy.'"
Kennedy said even though she never had an All American runner in her career, Ellen registered some pretty incredible quarter horses, including Heza Ramblin Man (who earned $750,907) and Rakin In The Cash ($242,707).
"I'm just shocked we qualified Houdini for the finals," Kennedy said. "I know Mom's happy and probably had something to do with it.
"As a yearling, he was so mean, he would try to kick you if you tried to pet him."
They decided to geld him to settle him down.
"We wouldn't have done that if we'd known he was going to be this good," Kenndy said.
"The way I got his name was that if the gate was a sliding lock, he could open it. I have about 37 acres out here and we'd go look for him in the stall and he'd be gone about two lots over after he let himself out."
It was not an easy choice for Kennedy to run Houdini in the All American trials. It cost $50,000 just to get him into the trials. Almost 300 horses ran for the 10 fastest times over a two-day period to qualify for the finals.
"That was my retirement money," Kennedy said. "We won the first trial of the day, but then his time had to hold up (over 13 other races that day). I got out my bank book and looked at it and thought, 'What am I going to do (if he doesn't qualify)?'"
But Houdini did and now has a chance to bankroll the winner's share of about $1.3 million.
"Even if you finish last, I think you get about $75,000 or $80,000," he said. "This is all for Mom this year."
Kennedy, too nervous to watch in person, is going to watch on
TVG.com.
Luis Villafranco, one of the top trainers at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, conditions the horse for Kennedy, and two-time All American-winning jockey Cody Jensen rides Houdini.
Houdini, the No. 7-ranked 2-year-old in the country, is 5-1 in the morning line and will break from the 4-hole Monday.
Other Oklahoma connections in the All American Futurity are breeder/owner Joe Mills of Broken Arrow with Skuze Pleeze, ridden by Pawhuska native G.R. Carter, and trainer Tana Pace, based in Oklahoma; and jockeys Cody Smith (aboard Hes Relentless) and Ricky Ramirez (Especially Tres).
Richard Linihan is marketing director at Fair Meadows in Tulsa.
Original Print Headline: Owasso's Houdini going for tribute victory
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