The Darkk Side lived up to the hype around the 2019 stallion at the first American Rope Horse Futurity Association event held with RodeoHouston, marking an event-high 234.85 in the short round on his way to the heading futurity title and $11,860 with Miles Baker on the reins.
The win put the son of Once In A Blu Boon out of the blue-hen mare DT Sugar Chex Whiz at $99,940 in career earnings in just 13 months in competition, all in judged earnings. Owned by The Darkk Side Syndicate, the stallion stands at Solo Select, though his breedings—only available to syndicate owners—are long sold out for 2024.
“I’m proud of him,” Baker said. “He deserves all the wins. And just for a stud, golly, he’s good-minded. He’s just quiet, laid back, you know? He’s just a great horse. He deserves it. I was just glad to do my job for him.”
Baker was high back after winning the first round with a 231 and staying steady throughout, but he needed a jam-up run to pass SJR Bet He Sparks and Tate Kirchenschlager who went to the lead at second call.
“A lot of times I have a get-paid mentality,” Baker said. “So I was 0.0-something on the barrier in the short round. I maxed it out. I maxed the whole barrier out and maxed the steer out, and like I said, a lot of times I’ll back off and I’m okay with winning second or third, but, at the last three shows that horse has either had a heeler miss or I waved it off at a Buckeye on him. He deserved to win first, and, so I was coming back up the arena and in my mind, I was like, ‘I’m not roping for second today.'”
Baker has piloted the Relentless Remuda ship since his partner, Trevor Brazile, had shoulder surgery at the end of December. In February in Buckeye, Arizona, at his first solo futurity, Baker won over $83,000 at the Royal Crown, getting the win in the 4-&-Under Heading, 4-&-Under Heeling and 6-&-Under Heading, and Jeremy Buhler rode Baker and Brazile’s Pride And Joyy to the 6-&-Under Heeling win.
The Darkk Side’s QData Report BEFORE ARHFA Houston
“When your partner’s the most aggressive human in the world, the winningest human in the world, being aggressive comes second nature,” Baker said. “So it’s not out of my comfort zone to mash the gas. Trev told me one time, he said, ‘Sometimes you mash the gas, and sometimes you just get the gas money.’ And so, I like to get gas money, but today I was mashing the gas on that horse.”
Brazile isn’t in a hurry to get back, and the more Baker wins, the less pressure Brazile feels to rush his recovery. The 26-time world champ has been doing physical therapy daily, but he says if Baker keeps winning, he can keep following his daughter Style to basketball games.
Baker also won third on Stylin Bill, worth $6,290 for the son of Stylin Cat out of the mare Billie Sue Canoso.
—TRJ—
