Zoom N La Ree wins by a neck at the Grade 3 TPHBA Derby

FORT WORTH, Texas—Zoom N La Ree, a 3-year-old sorrel solid Paint-bred mare, won the Grade 3 Texas Paint Horse Breeders Association (TPHBA) Derby, held Sept. 9 at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas. The mare is owned by Martha Heidelberg of Lexington, Okla., trained by her son, Bradley Heidelberg and was ridden by James Brooks.

“We think she’s a really nice filly,” said Martha Heidelberg.

Zoom N La Ree completed the 350-yard distance in 17.93 seconds. The mare, sired by Shazoom AQHA and out of Rollin La Ree, earned $9,414 for the win, increasing her lifetime earnings to $93,895.

“We’re real happy to win this race. This was a good group of horses,” said trainer Bradley Heidelberg. “She’s run well for us all year long. We might give her some time off now and just get ready for next year.”

Zoom N La Ree hangs on to win by a neck at the Texas Paint Horse Breeders Association (TPHBA) Derby. Photo credit: Sandra Beck/Coady Photography Hirez JPEG (484 kb)

Zoom N La Ree		Shazoom		Takin on the Cash		Dash For Cash
						Take You On
				Keep On Shining		Keep On Turning
						Moonsashinnin
		Rollin La Ree		The Signature		Noholme II
						Mable Chick Too
				Oh La Ree		Jet Spice
						La Ree's Rocket

Judy Janise, a sorrel tobiano mare sired by Judys Lineage and out of Flaming Heroine, posted a time of 17.96 seconds for second place. She is owned by Merle Rutherford of Lubbock, Texas, trained by James Lackey and was ridden by Jose Alvarez.

La Bella Rena, a bay tobiano mare sired by Royal Quick Flash and out of Treasured Chick, came in third with a time of 17.98 seconds. The mare is owned by Charles Trochta and Sammy Hester of Tulsa, Okla., trained by Sammy Hester and was ridden by Juan Vazquez.

Living Legacy, Jazzing Silk, Resurrection Day and Popos Boy completed the field.

More about Paint Horse racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, it’s no wonder that Paints have become one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.

Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made major strides forward. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in just two states—Texas and Oklahoma. In 2005, more than 600 starters competed in more than 800 APHA-recognized races for purses totaling more than $5.1 million.

A total of 18 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint Horses also race in Canada.

“The future is really bright for Paint racing,” said Lex Smurthwaite, APHA’s executive director. “Owners from other racing breeds are getting involved with Paints because of the strong and steady growth of our program. It is still relatively easy to get involved and be competitive.”

For more information on Paint Horse racing, contact APHA’s racing department at (817) 222-6444, e-mail racing@apha.com, or visit paintracing.com.