Preview Racing


Bannister Leads Wild West Field On Sunday Night
Bannister, one of the hedaliners in Sunday's $118,200 Wild West Futurity at Los Alamitos, has proven to be an excellent acquisition for trainer Monty Arrossa and owners Denny and Sandy Weigt.

© Scott Martinez
Bannister Leads Wild West Field On Sunday Night

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 21, 2016—Trainer Monty Arrossa liked everything about Bannister when he saw the dashing Maknmoves gelding at the Heritage Place Sale last year.

"I didn't have an owner for him at the time, but I liked him so much that I decided to buy him anyways," Arrossa said.

It didn't take long for Bannister to catch the eye of Arrossa's longtime client, owner Denny Weigt.

"He said, ‘I'll take him,' "Arrossa explained. "I really liked the horses' family. It included some excellent horse like Sky Chicks, Dutch Schultz and Spike It And Fly."

Bannister, which now headlines the $118,200 Wild West Futurity at Los Alamitos, has proven to be an excellent acquisition for both Arrossa and owners Denny and Sandy Weigt.

Bred by Nancy Yearsley and J. Garvan Kelly, Bannister will be one of the favorites after posting the fastest qualifying time to the Wild West and in runaway fashion after winning his trial by 2 ¼ lengths on October 2.

Bannister is no stranger to fast time or winning races. He's won five of seven starts and was the fastest qualifier to the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge before running third in the final on August 20. The gelding was not happy that missed out of the winner's circle photo after the John Deere California Juvenile.

"When he came back after running in the final, the groom started walking him back to the barn," Arrossa said. "Bannister was not happy at all. He started tugging on the chain and wanted to go in the opposite direction. He wanted to go to the winner's circle to have his photo taken. He wasn't happy that he lost that race."

The winner of the $69,000 Beehive Futurity earlier this year, Bannister will have a chance to make amends when he leads a 10 horse field in Sunday's main event. To be ridden by Tony Guymon, Bannister will start from post number two.

The field will also include Cedar Creek Tree Farm Ranch and Racing's unbeaten Henry Craig (see related story), as he'll be going after his third futurity win. The One Sweet Jess gelding has drawn the outside post number 10, while looking to score his sixth win in as many starts. Hector Magallanes will saddle the Oregon-bred.

Trainer Jere Brinkerhoff will saddle two solid contenders in the Wild West headed by trial winner Oh So Fancy Fancy, which the trainer owns. Also sired by One Sweet Jess, the California-bred filly was second in the $40,000 Intermountain Futurity last month and was a solid half-length trial winner to this race. Jesus Canalas will ride Oh So Fancy Fancy from post number four.

Brinkerhoff will also saddle his Buckshot Cartel, which ran second to Henry Craig in the trials.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.