Clean Sweep for Austin Shepard with Kinky Bootz

The 2020 Augusta Futurity concluded on Saturday, January 25, with the Open Futurity, where Kinky Bootz, owned and bred by Glenn Drake, Napa, Calif., scored 226 points to carry NCHA Hall of Fame Rider Austin Shepard to his sixth Augusta 4-Year-Old Futurity win. On the heels of his 5/6-Year-Old win aboard Dual Reyish, on Friday night, the 2020 Futurity win also gives Shepard his second Augusta Open Futurity sweep. Shepard  won 4-Year-Old and 5/6 Year-Old championships in 2014, riding CD Kual Gun and Bamacat, respectively.

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Augusta Futurity: Johnson and Minshall Share Title on Thursday

Augusta Futurity action began on Thursday, January 23 with with 70 entries in the 5/6-Year-Old Amateur go-round. Andrew Sligh, Altoona, Ala., the second rider in the first of five sets, laid down the pace with 219 points on the Kit Kat Sugar gelding Carmylantalized LTE $45,030, who had been an Augusta Open finalist in 2018 and 2019 with Todd Gann.

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Augusta Cutting Futurity: Pritchard Wins Open Intermediate Title

Jessie Pritchard and Who Ya Callin Shorty, by High Brow CD,  scored 222 points on Tuesday to win the Augusta Futurity 4-Year-Old Intermediate Finals. Walt Erwin and Sweet Metallic CD 16, by Metallic Cat, marked 218 to place second in the nine-horse finals, while Gabe Reynolds and Reyz Your Chelada, by Reydioactive placed third with 215 points.

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“A” is for Austin and Augusta

Austin Shepard, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of over $8.1 million, holds the record for Augusta Open championship wins, with five in the Futurity and three in the 5/6 Classic. He claimed last year’s Futurity with 225 points on Bama Jelly LTE $149,005, by Bamacat, and on Sunday, January 19, he showed Bama Jelly to top the 2020 Augusta Futurity 5/6 Classic qualifying go round, with 222.5 points.

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