(Saturday, November 15, 2003) - Longshot Razzabedazz, winless in three starts before Saturday night’s Texas Classic Futurity trials, not only collected her first victory, but was the fastest of 139 two-year-olds who attempted to get one of 10 spots in the lucrative $1,088,856 final on Nov. 29 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Owned and bred by Merle Rutherford of Lubbock, Texas, Razzabedazz will have a shot to go from a $4,067-earner to a whopping $474,925, thanks to the hefty $470,858 first prize in the 400-yard final in two weeks.

“I just feel real lucky tonight,” said winning trainer William Jolley Howard.

The 11th running of the Texas Classic Futurity will be the richest horse race in Texas history, eclipsing last year’s final worth $1,061,703.

The 2-year-old filly, ridden by G.R. Carter Jr., ran a 400-yard time of :19.674 in the fifth of 15 trials Saturday at the North Texas racetrack, good for the top spot. She was one of five fillies to qualify.

Other qualifiers were Brimmerton, None As Easy, Sixes Royal, Mitowilard, Jess Rock On, Nine Orchids, Spit Curl Jess, Lett Her Zoom and JLS Streak Of Snow. No positions changed after the 10th race.

Previously, Razzabedazz failed to qualify to the Grade 1 All American and Dash For Cash futurities. On Saturday, she defeated Sixes Royal by a head en route to her first win.

“This filly is really, really big and she broke really good, but it seemed it took her a while to get her momentum going,” Carter said. “She’s so big, she broke good enough to where I could just send her on down the track. [Sixes Royal] made just a little run at her there on the end…it gave her something to eyeball. She ran a good, solid race the whole way and we’re just happy it came out the way it did.”

Highly regarded Brimmerton didn’t disappoint, qualifying to the final. Owned and bred by Bobby Cox of Fort Worth and trained by John Buchanan, the 2-year-old First Down Dash colt, who finished sixth as the heavy 2-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Retama Park Futurity, got into the final with a narrow, but powerful victory over None As Easy in the third heat.

“Those good horses, they can just run any distance whenever you call on them,” Buchanan said. “He’s just grown so much. That horse is 150 pounds bigger than he was early in the year and probably a hand and a half taller. He needed that out. He ran a little sluggish, I thought, but he’s just a game enough horse he’s going to try to win anyway. I guarantee you this horse runs better the more you run him and we waited on this race all year. There’s going to be nine other good ones in there, but I wouldn’t swap mine for any of them. I wouldn’t swap him for any two-year-old in the country.”

Here’s a look at each of the Texas Classic Futurity qualifiers:

1. Razzabedazz – Fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.674 in the fifth trial; ridden by G.R. Carter Jr.; trained by Jolley Howard; owned and bred by Merle Rutherford of Lubbock, Texas; bay Texas-bred filly by Special Leader out of the Victory Dash mare Bedazzlin Dash; won by a head and paid $34.60 to win as the 16-1 fifth wagering choice; collected her first win and improved record to 4-1-1-2--$4,067; previously was winless in three starts, including failed attempts to qualify for the All American and Dash For Cash futurities.

2. Brimmerton – Second fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.684 in the third trial; ridden by Juan Vazquez; trained by John Buchanan; owned and bred by Bobby Cox of Fort Worth, Texas; sorrel Texas-bred colt by First Down Dash out of the Ronas Ryon mare Fitting Celebration; won by a nose over None as Easy and paid $5.40 to win as the 8-5 favorite; improved record to 4-3-0-0—$20,118; broke maiden in May at Retama Park by 3 ½ lengths, then qualified to Grade I, $266,760 Retama Park Futurity on June 22 where he finish sixth as the odds-on 2-5 favorite after getting left at the start.

3. None As Easy – Third fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.691 in the third trial; ridden by Tommy Wellington, trained by Charlton Hunt; owned and bred by Walter Fletcher of Lakin, Kan.; gray Oklahoma-bred filly by Dashin Is Easy out of the Dash For Cash mare Sweet As Cash; finished second a nose back of Brimmerton as the 3-1 second wagering choice after bobbling at the start and angling out early; record stands at 10-5-3-1—$127,547; won the Grade 3, $44,820 American Airlines Central Challenge at Prairie Meadows on Aug. 9 and Grade 2, $143,850 Valley Junction Futurity at Prairie Meadows on Sept. 13; also qualified to the Restricted Grade 2, $133,839 Lazy E Futurity at Blue Ribbon Downs on April 5 (finished second) and Restricted Grade 3, $79,346 Iowa Double Gold Futurity at Prairie Meadows on July 19 (finished sixth).

4. Sixes Royal – Fourth fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.693 in the fifth trial; ridden by Jacky Martin; trained by Frankie Martinez, owned by F. Graham, S.J. & F. Martinez of Alcalde, N.M.; gray Texas-bred colt by Royal Quick Dash out of the Streakin Six mare Tempered Glass; finished second a head back of Razzabedazz as the odds-on 3-5 favorite while drifting out late; record stands at 8-3-1-1—$126,468; also qualified to the Grade 1, $1,896,250 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 1 and the Grade 1, $393,120 Dash For Cash Futurity at Lone Star Park on Oct. 18 and finished fourth in both affairs.

5. Jess Rock On – Fifth fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.722 in the sixth trial; ridden by Tad Leggett; trained by Mike Wakefield; owned by Jack Manning of Odessa, Texas; bay Oklahoma-bred colt by Mr Jess Perry out of the Tolltac mare Rockin The Tetons; won by three-quarters of a length as the 7-1 second wagering choice with a powerful finish; improved record to 9-4-1-0—$36,413; also qualified to the Grade 1, $500,000 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso on June 8 (finished sixth), as well as the Rainbow Juvenile (finished ninth) and All American Juvenile (finished eighth) invitationals, a pair of Restricted Grade 3 events.

6. Mitowilard – Sixth fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.722 in the 10th trial; ridden by Nicky Wilson; trained by Toby Keeton; owned by J. Nub Neighbors of Denton, Texas; brown gelding by Willie Wanta Dash out of the Mito Isle mare Mito Suzy; won by a half length as the 8-1 fourth wagering choice with a fast finish; improved record to 6-2-0-0—$5,282; previously failed to qualify for the Grade 1 Rainbow and All American futurities at Ruidoso Downs.

7. Nine Orchids – Seventh fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.745 in the seventh trial; ridden by J.R. Ramirez; trained by Duane Hartsell; owned by E. Terri and Bennie Jeter of Arlington, Texas; gray Louisiana-bred filly by Holland Ease out of the Streakin La Jolla mare Streakin La Rosa; won by three-quarters of a length as the 12-1 sixth wagering choice; won for the first time and improved record to 8-1-2-0—$12,008; previously qualified to the Restricted Grade 2, $133,839 Lazy E Futurity at Blue Ribbon Downs on April 5 and finished fifth; failed in attempts to qualify to the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American futurities.

8. Spit Curl Jess – Eighth fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.776 in the eighth trial; ridden by G.R. Carter Jr.; trained by Jim Doolin; owned by Arbuckle Stables of Ardmore, Okla.; brown Texas-bred colt by Mr Jess Perry out of the On A High mare Lil Spit Curl; won by a head over Lett Her Zoom as the 6-1 third wagering choice and paid $14 to win; improved record to 7-2-2-0—$30,159; previously qualified to the Grade 1, $286,324 Heritage Place Futurity at Blue Ribbon Downs on May 4 (finished seventh) and Grade 2, $150,214 Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park on July 12 (sixth); failed to qualify to the All American Futurity.

9. Lett Her Zoom – Ninth fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.794 in the eighth trial; ridden by Tad Leggett; trained by Ross Hardy; owned by Stephen Williams of Beaumont, Texas; sorrel Oklahoma-bred filly by Shazoom out of the Vital Sign mare Lett Her Sign; finished a head back of Spit Curl Jess as the 6-5 favorite after bobbling at the start and being forced inward; record stands at 7-3-2-0—$57,264; won the Grade 2, $112,908 Kansas Futurity at The Woodlands on Oct. 4, her last start; also qualified to the Grade 3, $180,100 Firecracker Futurity at Delta Downs on June 28 (finished third); failed to qualify to the All American Futurity.

10. JLS Streak Of Snow – Tenth fastest qualifier with a 400-yard time of :19.834 in the 10th trial; ridden by Alvin “Bubba” Brossette; trained by John Darrell Soileau; owned and bred by JLS Speed Horse Ranch Inc. of Opelousas, La.; brown Texas-bred filly by This Snow Is Royal out of the On A High mare Dancing Tonight; finished a half length back of Mitowilard as the 3-1 second choice after being bumped at the start; record stands at 7-1-4-0—$26,729; won the Dash For Cash Juvenile Stakes at Lone Star Park on Oct. 18, her previous start; also qualified to the Grade 3, $180,100 Firecracker Futurity at Delta Downs on June 28 (finished fifth).