Phil Rapp's two runs aboard Smoothe Bye Design this week have been stellar. Yet, his Augusta Futurity experience can't match what he witnessed last fall.
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The diehard San Francisco Giants fan attended Game 5 of the 2010 World Series with his young son, Ryan. For Rapp, a native Californian, it didn't get any better than watching his favorite team play close to his home in Weatherford, Texas.
When San Francisco clinched its first World Series title since 1954 with its 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers, Rapp squeezed his son. Ryan told him he couldn't breathe.
"Don't worry about it," Rapp responded.
"I thought they'd make the playoffs, but to make the World Series was fantastic," Rapp said. "It was a perfect year."
Rapp knows a little about success himself. The cutting industry's all-time earnings leader, Rapp has won a record 10 Augusta Futurity titles. Now, he's making a strong bid for No. 11.
Rapp and Smoothe Bye Design marked their second consecutive 220 to win the Futurity Open second go-round Thursday. The pair's combined score of 440 gave them a 3.5-point margin over their nearest competitors, Skip Queen and Smartys Man.
The top 16 horses with aggregate scores of 423.5 or better advanced to Saturday night's finals at James Brown Arena.
Rapp, along with his wife, Mary Ann, have 25 percent ownership of Smoothe Bye Design, which is owned by Smoothe Design Ltd. The partnership purchased the stud, by Smoothe As A Cat, in May 2009, and Rapp trained him.
"He's one of the best 3-year-olds I've ever trained," Rapp said.
"He's very fast. Even though he's light-framed, he's very well-balanced. The faster cows are not an issue with him."
Smoothe Bye Design suffered a hind suspensory injury in July and proceeded to rest the next 75 days. The time off kept the horse fresh for all the major events, beginning with December's NCHA World Championship Futurity, where he finished 25th.
Smoothe Bye Design placed sixth at the Abilene Spectacular earlier this month.
In Augusta, the horse tied for the top first go-round score before repeating with another solid mark in the second go.
"He's catching up on those 75 days he's missed," Rapp said. "These past few days he's been a lot of fun."
All events today through Saturday start at 9 a.m. unside James Brown Arena, unless noted.
TODAY: Go-round of $100,000 Amateur for 4-Year-Old, followed by go-round of $35,000 Non-Pro Any Age, followed by finals of $100,000 Amateur for 4-Year-Old, followed by finals of $35,000 Non-Pro Any Age. Area 18 Youth Scholarship finals, 6:30 p.m., followed by Classic Non-Pro finals, followed by Classic Open finals. ACCHA Subscribed Stallion Stakes Auction, 2 p.m.
see more at augustafuturity.com
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