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Show 'Mama T brings home world championship By KALYN SECRETAN "Who is Mama T? She's a filly . who brought home honors to owners own-ers Kent and Wilm a Taylor of Lin-don. Lin-don. A two-year-old appaloosa,' Mama T just won the greatest race of her life. Listed among ten of the nation's best two-year-olds, she emerged the winner in the World Wide Futurity Futu-rity for Appaloosa in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kent named the horse after his wife, Wilma, with the T for Taylor. Tay-lor. The Taylors are thrilled with the World Championship and won $25,800. During the past summer Mama T won the Golden Spike Futurity at Laurel Brown Park in Salt Lake City. She won the July 4 Western States Futurity at Boise, Idaho. A 4-5 favorite at the Wyoming Downs she dominated the Open to the World Futurity Finals sprinting to a 2 14-length victory in the 440 yard event. In the World Wife Futurity at Albuquerque, jockey Kelly Stallings sent Mama T out of the gates for all she was worth. The Taylor fans went wild as Mama T emerged the winner in an eye to eye finish. Mama T was only 10 inches ahead of runner-up "Got the Gas," arriving from Kansas with owners, the Diediken family. Doug and Nelda Robinson of Pleasant Grove raised the mother of Mama T. Caesar Babe came in second place jn the World Wife in 1976 earning $18,375. The Robinsons and Taylors all rejoiced in the victory. Taylor trained the horse but last fall it was time to send Mama T off to a trainer, Wilma didn't want the horse to go. Kent felt she would pay her way and Glade Van Tassel was selected as a trainer. Van Tassel feels Mama T is an exceptional horse and can win on all racks. He knows she can go faster. Next year the Taylors will consider con-sider racing in California. OFfers for her sale have been turned down. She's resting now and the Taylors are excited about a great summer ahead. The Taylors claim they are not superstitious, but they wear the same clothes to the finals of each race. Not only the Taylors, once Van Tassell couldn't find his shirt but his wife came through with it in the last minute. He was wearing it in Albuquerque. I f' . 'Oa It 1 1 lliiilP rmawmit Wilma and Kent Taylor, left, are all smiles in the Winner's Circle with "Mama T" with jockey Kelly Stallings and Glade Van Tassell, right, trainer. |