JL Jamaican Me Rich Lives up to His Name at Money and Beaches Barrel Race

With $28,000 added, the Fifth Annual Money and Beaches Barrel Race was held at Circle T Arena in Hamilton, Tex., May 1-4. Produced by Bizzy Bee Productions, the race had a unique format. On Thursday, the Open 5D was a warm-up race, split into two sections. The SweepStakes Round had $6,500 added and riders could carry their time to the Open 4D. There was one $10,000 added Open 4D race, split into three sections. Horse and rider combos could enter all three sections, for a total of three runs in the same race payout. There were futurity, derby, aged horse, and senior and open high stakes sidepots.

Open 4D

While we cannot officially confirm, we do believe this may have been a first occurence. If not, it is certainly a great rarity. Sophie Palmore and JL Jamaican Me Rich (JL Dash Ta Heaven x Frenchmans Lana x Frenchmans Guy) clocked the exact same time on two different runs. Not only was it an identical time, down to the thousandth of a second, it was the winning time. With a 15.078, the duo swept the 1D in the Open, SweepStakes, and Adult sidepot. Tying for first place in all three classes, they earned a total of $24,458.

Palmore and "Richie" have been a team for several years, after the gelding's very successful futurity year (as a four-year-old) with Jolene Montgomery. The 2016 BFA Reserve World Champion with Montgomery and 2022 Better Barrel Races World Finals Champion with Palmore, Richie is now 13 years old. Nine years of winning checks at the highest levels of competition is incredibly impressive and shows why JL Dash Ta Heaven is a $10 million sire. A solid foundation with a veteran trainer like Montgomery, carried on by a great jockey like Palmore proves a winning combination. Palmore and Richie are currently ranked no. 27 in the WPRA World Standings, with $26,359 won at just nine professional rodeos this year.

London Gorham and Tiny Bit Of Presure have been on a roll as of late and they placed third with a 15.118. Skyler Nicholas and the great mare Stoli My Guy clocked a 15.171 for fourth. Sabra O'Quinn and Slicks Lil Amigo placed fifth with a 15.183. Mindy Holloway and Heavens Got Credit took sixth with a 15.215, as well as 10th with a 15.336. Tana Renick and TR Wild Man clocked a 15.233 and 15.250 to place seventh and eighth.

The race paid to 16th in each "D," so not only did it pay well, it paid deep into each division. Winning the 2D, Delani Beatty and Talented Streaker tied with Dale Long and aged-event standout Saaul Good with a 15.579 for $3,958. Winning the 3D was Hayden Jefferies and Razzle Dazzle Ta Fame for $2,794 with a 16.080. The $2,095 win in the 4D went to Lori Zabel and Back The Blue with a 16.583.

SweepStakes

Palmore and Richie took the top two spots in the 1D once again, followed by Gorham, O'Quinn, and Holloway. Holloway took the 2D win aboard Trojan with a 15.637 for $3,530. While Jolene trained 1D winner, Richie, her sister-in-law, Molli Montgomery, trained Trojan. Topping the 3D for $2,354 was Annie Picken and DoubleShot Of Heaven.