Amarillo, Texas, April 6, 2006 A victory in the West Texas Futurity sparked Leading Spirit’s 2005 championship campaign, and some of American Quarter Horse racing’s hottest 2-year-olds will be looking for that same chance in Sunday’s running of the Grade 1 event.

Leading Spirit, who captured the year-end title of champion 2-year-old gelding and earned $694,680, started his stakes career with a 3/4-length victory in the 2005 version of the 300-yard contest.  He went on to win the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) and the Rainbow Futurity (G1) before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Dr. Barry Thompson of West, Texas, who co-owns Leading Spirit, will be represented this year by third-fastest qualifier Our Miss Perry (Mr Jess Perry Our Miss Smith, by R. Smith (TB)).  Conditioned by Blane Wood, the filly broke her maiden in the trials for this race on March 24, winning by a neck over Angelina Ballerina who qualified with the fifth-best time.

Another Mr Jess Perry filly, Jess Charming, owned by the Albuquerque-based partnership of Terry Wootan, Billy Smith, Joe David Yates and Pat Guthrie’s Downtime Enterprises, posted the best time of :15.19 and won his qualifying race by a convincing 1 1/4 lengths over Run Perry Run, who also made the cut with the sixth-best mark. Out of the Corona Cartel mare Corona Perfection, Jess Charming is unbeaten in two starts and carries a $15,960 bankroll into her first stakes out.

Blane Wood also will saddle second-fastest qualifier Down N Dash (First Down Dash Tell Her More, by Rare Form).  Owned by Johnny Trotter of Hereford, Texas, and Pete Scarmardo of Caldwell, Texas, the colt from the family of champion Teller Cartel broke his maiden with a one-length victory in the last of eight trials.

For all the latest news and results of American Quarter Horse racing events, visit aqharacing.com.

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