$600.000-added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity 2023 presented by DeNiroBooCo

The first go round of the 3-year-old Open Futurity

The $254.660-added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 3-year-old Open Futurity horses today made their debut in Cremona, Italy, in the first go round of the competition. Held in a two go round format and seeded finals, the pressure was on and at the end of the day, Italian Professional Manuel Cortesi and Frozen Sven — fresh off their win at the NRHA Germany Open Futurity — rode to a 224 to top the $170.622-added Level (L)4 counting 70 entries.

“I got this horse in training last year in December and he’s a really good horse,” said Cortesi. “He has a very strong personality which I always need to work through in the show arena, but he’s young and is not of course not fully mature.”

The stallion by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize out of Ladymaster (by Master Snapper), bred by Roberto Cuoghi, is co-owned by NRHA Hall of Famers Eleuterio Arcese and Cuoghi. Two points behind was Italy’s Nico Sicuro riding Gunner Be Step (Sugar Little Step x Gunna Be Majestic), a stallion owned and bred by Quarter Dream.

On top of the $48.385-added L3 – counting 76 entries — with a 218.5 score was Luca Piccolo of Italy riding Cliff Shining Gun, a stallion by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Colonels Shining Gun out of Shining Sweety, bred and owned by Carola Fiorini. Tying for the lead was Alessandro Frassá aboard GH Donna Whiz, a mare by Star Spangled Whiz out of Nu Chex Donna owned by Giuliano Gallizia and bred by Giorgio Guida. Frassá and his mount also lead the $22.920-added L2 division which counts 78 entries.

In the $12.733-added L1 counting 35 entries, Shane Mark Bass reined Superwalla to a 216 topping the leaderboard. The stallion by NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz and out of Ah Lady Oscar is owned and was bred by Alberto Sabbadin.

The second go round of the Open Futurity will be held on Wednesday 15 with the top 20 composite scores [plus ties] in the L4, L3, L2, and the top 14 composite scores [plus ties] in the L1 advancing to the seeded Finals which will be held on Saturday, 18. A limited number of tickets for the Level 4 Open

Finals may be purchased here: https://bitly.ws/3292L

For full results and live score: https://bitly.ws/3292R

For further information: www.FUTURITY.it / www.IRHA.it

Photos: Bonaga Communication | Simona Diale/International Horse Press