Debra Gotovac's The Dream stands with his trainer, Brad Bolen.

© Richard Chamberlain

By Richard Chamberlain

GRAND PRARIE, TX–OCTOBER 17, 203–From a longshot at Claremore, Oklahoma, to a starter in the $100,000-estimated Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship (G1), it's been a dream – well, The Dream – for owner Debra Gotovac, trainer Brad Bolen and the rest of the crew who handles her horses.

"The Dream ran second at Claremore," says Bolen. "There were only four regions that had Distance Challenge races this year, so a lot of second-place horses got in."

Bred by Gotovac of Midland, Texas, The Dream is a 4-year-old black gelding by champion FDD Dynasty, who has sired the earners of more than $33 million. The Dream is one of eight winners from nine starters out of the winning Eyesa Special mare Eyesa Precious, who earned $40,338 on the track and has produced the earners of more than $175,000.

"When we flushed Eyesa Precious, we got nine oocytes and five were live, so The Dream and four full siblings were all born from recip mares within four days of each other," Bolen says. "One of them died as a baby, so now The Dream has three full siblings and two other half-siblings, and they all can run a little bit.

"Unfortunately, we lost the mare," he adds ruefully. "She colicked and foundered, and we had to put her down. We miss her – she was a good one."

With a career record of 20 – 3 – 1 (1) – 4 and $42,887, The Dream is catching on.

"The Dream and his siblings were all real good as babies and were real nice and easy when we broke them," Bolen says. "We knew The Dream was going to be a real nice horse, very decent going down the lane.

"He's not your typical-looking 870 horse," he says. "He's got beautiful classic Quarter Horse conformation. He looks like an FDD Dynasty and his mother was a big, good-looking mare. The Dream's a big pet – big, gentle thing with a big, kind eye."

As a 2-year-old, The Dream ran fourth in the Dash For Cash Juvenile Stakes at Lone Star Park. He returned at 3 to run in the West Texas Derby (G3) and the Ruidoso Derby Challenge. All three stakes were at 400 yards.

"He was a minor stakes horse, and we thought he needed a little more distance," Bolen said. "His first time around the turn was February 8 this year at Louisiana Downs. He was in front turning for home, but he got tired and got caught coming to the wire."

The Dream finished seventh in that first trip at 870 yards. The gelding's second race at the distance was February 24 at the track near Shreveport.

"He beat them bad, way out front, by a length and a half," Bolen says. "Since then, The Dream has never finished off the board around the turn."

Going 870, The Dream ran third on August 13 at the Gillespie County Fair and comes into the Challenge Championship off his second in the Distance Challenge at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore.

So The Dream is on. Gotovac, Bolen and the crew are looking forward to Saturday night.

"We have a real good team," Bolen says. "My assistant trainer is Alberto Franco, who's a very good horseman. I couldn't do this without him – or them."

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