Published: May 17, 2008 12:28 am            

Gordon-owned horse wins Futurity

Like three Cheshire cats, Bill Gordon and his two sons, Wayne and Dennis, have lately been sitting in their barber chairs smiling a great deal.

The reason the three men have been smiling is because the quarter horse they all own together, Jack Platinum, recently won the Laddie Futurity race at Delta Downs in Vinton, La. It is the biggest win for the partners who over the years have raised, trained and raced quarter horses. Bill Gordon, 73, said Friday from the Gordon and Sons Barber Shop in downtown Meridian he is still dancing on cloud nine.

"We flew down there, watched the Kentucky Derby on TV and watched our horse win so it was a very good day for us," said Bill Gordon. "It was a lot of fun."

The Gordons have one broodmare and raise one baby each year from their farm in the Russell community. Bill Gordon and Danny Eldridge co-own the farm. Eldridge is the trainer for the horses.

The Gordons raised Jack Platinum's dam, the 1997 Streakin Angelica, after purchasing his granddam Sexy Tac as a yearling at Heritage Place. The mare retired after breaking her hip.

"Streakin Angelica won the Walter McIlhenny Stars and Stripes and the Champions Day in New Orleans," said Wayne Gordon. "She made more than $100,000 before we brought her home. She's made four babies but Jack Platinum is the best of them all."

Quarter horse racing is like drag racing. Unlike thoroughbreds such as Big Brown now vying for the Triple Crown where horses are bred and trained for distance and stamina, Quarter horses such as Jack Platinum are bred solely for the quarter-mile sprint. In winning the Laddie Futurity, the two-year old covered 330 yards in just under 17 seconds. The win brought the Gordon team a $125,000 payday.

"Out of 107 horses entered into the time trials for the Laddie Futurity, Jack Platinum finished with the second highest time," said Wayne Gordon. "The next race is going to be a little longer, about 400 yards, and we have great expectations for Jack Platinum in that one."

"The colt is already showing great consistency," said Eldridge. "He ran pretty much the same times in trials and the race. He's banked more than $132,000 with a 2-0 record."

The Gordons have been around horses for many years and immediately saw great potential in the colt from the moment they first saw it.

"We hoped for the best after he qualified for the Laddie Futurity but we never expected this win," said Wayne Gordon. "It was a wonderful surprise."

If Jack Platinum continues to have success, maybe the Gordons should consider changing its name to "Flash Gordon."

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.