Kiss My Hocks likely to be Carter's final All American Derby mount

Kiss My Hocks, the champion 2-year-old Quarter Horse of 2014, has been jockey G.R. Carter Jr.’s leading 3-year-old mount this summer. They teamed to win the $1,067,908 Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs on July 18 in the first stakes appearance of the year for Kiss My Hocks.

When Carter rides Kiss My Hocks in Sunday’s $2,378,383 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs, it might be his last mount in Quarter Horse racing’s richest derby. Carter said on Thursday he intends to retire at the end of the year, but he left open the possibility of riding a few races in 2016. He has one career win in the All American Derby, on Dashing Perfection in 1997.

Carter, 47, is the winningest rider in Quarter Horse racing history with 3,793 victories through Thursday and has contemplated retirement in recent seasons. Aside from his involvement in racing, Carter and a childhood friend have developed an oilfield pipeline company in the Oklahoma City area with 70 employees, Carter said.

Kiss My Hocks has won 9 of 11 starts and earned $1,145,861 for owners Conda Maze and Tyler Graham and trainer Toby Keeton. Kiss My Hocks was the overall champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt of 2014, a year in which he won the Sam Houston and Ruidoso futurities and was second in the Rainbow Futurity.

Carter began riding Kiss My Hocks in early July, replacing Cody Jensen, who sustained back and rib injuries in a gate accident in early June. Through the summer, Carter has noticed that Kiss My Hocks is so powerful away from the gate that an element of strength is needed to ensure a clean start.

“You’ve got to keep him on his feet away from the gate,” Carter said. “A couple of races in the past, the ground will break out away from him. You want to get a tighter hold on the reins and let him break into the bit. He’s a stout, good-looking horse. He’s got a lot of mass. I foresee a big race.”

Kiss My Hocks will break from post 8 in a strong field of 10. Nine of the finalists were winners of time trials Aug. 23. Sam Crow, second in the Rainbow Derby, was second in a division of the trials, the only runner-up to qualify.

The field includes Mad About the Moon, who was second in the 2014 All American Futurity; Premier Ethics, who is unbeaten in seven starts; and Apollitical Blood, who was second in the Golden State Million at Los Alamitos last November.