Kathy Grimes and KG Just Money delivered an unforgettable performance at the Royal Crown in Buckeye, Arizona, clinching an impressive $38,607 for their 1D clean sweep in both the Royal Crown and South Valley Equine Futurities.
Grimes and KG Just Money set the pace early in the first round of barrel racing competition, stopping the clock at 17.009 seconds in the first round of the Royal Crown Futurity. They returned even stronger in the second round, clocking a 16.927. Their combined time of 33.936 seconds on two secured them both the average titles and a significant payout. See full results recap here.
Grimes, a decorated barrel racer with multiple accolades—including NFR qualifications—was ecstatic to add this victory to her growing list of achievements.
“It’s about run No. 11 for his futurity year,” Grimes said. “I’m still figuring out exactly what he’s going to do when we leave the alleyway—but he always finds the barrels,” Grimes said. “I was so excited after our clean third barrel—I’m sure everyone heard me yelling on the way home.”
As if the green 4-year-old’s showing wasn’t impressive enough, he did it in spite of Grimes’ wardrobe malfunction en route to his first barrel.
“Today, when we were leaving the alleyway, he kind of popped me up, and when I came back down, my belt got hung,” Grimes said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I just ruined all of our chances of winning anything at all.'”
Like many barrel racers, Grimes had forgone wearing a belt for many years due to the fear of getting hung up on the horn, and had just recently began sporting one again in competition. Fortunately, the outcome proved vastly different than what she’d feared.
“My buckle did come undone eventually,” Grimes said. “But apparently (Showy) knew exactly where the first barrel was, because he just kept going. Then, he ran so hard to the second and absolutely smoked it. I still can’t believe we made one of those coveted runs in the 16’s on a standard. I was just so excited.”
The Making of “Showy”
KG Just Money, aka “Showy,” is a 2021 is out of Grimes’ legendary mare KG Justiceweexpected and by none other than PC Frenchmans Hayday, aka Dinero.
Grimes had always dreamed of breeding to Dinero but hadn’t had the opportunity—until a fortunate trade with a friend came along.
“Izzy was an awesome futurity and derby mare that took me to the 2017 NFR, and she comes from a long line of mare power,” Grimes said. “I’ve been crossing her on lots of different stallions, and I’ve always wanted to cross on Dinero but never had the opportunity. I was selling a horse, and a friend of mine was going to buy him, but she also had a breeding to Dinero and no mare to use it on. So, she asked if I would take the breeding as partial trade for the horse, and I did. That’s how we got Showy.”
When Showy was born, he was a flashy little buckskin who needed a barn name that matched his looks.
“My friend Kayla Jones told me Patrick Mahomes’ nickname in college was Showtime,” Grimes said. “Since Patrick Mahomes is great, I figured maybe this baby would be, too. So, I named him Showy. I think he just might live up to Patrick Mahomes’ greatness.”
Showy’s Futurity Year
Showy’s early runs showed promise, but it wasn’t until Grimes started hauling him that she realized his true potential.
“We ran at the Hamilton Futurity, and while he was solid, it wasn’t anything spectacular,” Grimes said. “But when we went to Buckeye for a Tuesday jackpot, he clocked a 17.2, and I was blown away. From there, he kept improving, running a 17.01 at an NBHA Super Show. He’s consistently proving himself and loves standard patterns. His runs don’t feel super fast—they always feel smooth and nice—but when I look at the clock, I’m surprised every time. He’s just that efficient.”
The Nine-Oh Legacy
As both a breeder and a veterinarian, Grimes takes pride in the success of her program, Nine-Oh Barrel Horses. She has dedicated years to crossing proven mares, like Izzy, with top-tier stallions.
“I started doing embryo transfers 19 years ago, and Izzy was the first baby I got out of that endeavor,” Grimes said. “Izzy has 24 foals on the ground, 20 of them of running age, and her progeny earnings are around $740,000. My goal is to reach the million-dollar mark, and with horses like Showy, I think we can do it—maybe even this year.”
Grimes personally handles her breeding program’s embryo transfers and finds immense joy in the process.
“It’s better than Christmas,” Grimes laughed. “When you see that 14-day pregnancy, it’s just the coolest thing. The science behind it still amazes me.”
With KG Just Money’s incredible runs in Buckeye, a rich pedigree, and Grimes’ dedication to breeding and training, the future looks incredibly bright for this team. Their Royal Crown success is just the beginning of what promises to be an exceptional career.
