Dora Daoud, of Baker, Fla., rode Peponita Times Two to 222 and victory in the $100,000 Amateur 5/6-year-old finals Thursday at the Augusta Futurity. She won by four points over Ken Cronan to earn a $5,485 check. Special

The first time wasn't so bad after all.

Dora Daoud accompanied her husband, Khader, to the Augusta Futurity the past few years, but she always watched from the stands.

"I always thought it'd be overwhelming to show here," Daoud said. "This is a dream."

The stay-at-home mother of three whipped the field by four points with 222 on Peponita Times Two to win the $100,000 Amateur for 5/6-year-old finals Thursday at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

"I have a good horse and a good trainer," Daoud said. "I have a lot of faith in them two."

Daoud of Baker, Fla., won $5,485. Ken Cronan, the lone rider with two horses in the 10-horse final, placed second on Lorenas Baby at 218 for $4,440. Jerry Roper and Smokin J Rey finished third (215.5, $3,657).

Daoud was quick to heap praise on her trainer, Austin Shepard, for her first Augusta title. She credited Shepard with picking the three cows for her winning score and for giving her some advice.

"He told me to be aggressive," she said. "I went down there, and it was awesome from start to finish.

"You're just in there for fun, and I was having fun. Lots of it."

She won her second "big" futurity in four tries. Daoud won the Southern Futurity Amateur Classic Finals with her personal-best score of 224 on her 6-year-old gelding last year and also made the finals in another competition.

The Daouds purchased the horse, by PA Pete Bolton out of PA Ashley Claiborne, in August 2005.

"My husband had been watching him," Daoud said. "He's really a sweet horse. He's awesome."

Daoud said she could tell her horse was locked in from the beginning of the ride.

"(Peponita Times Two) was just on," she said.

"And when he's on, he's on."

Daoud finished fifth in the go-round, which took place earlier in the day. Her score of 215 made the cut line by a point.

Her husband wasn't as fortunate. Khader Daoud and DMAC Dandy Devine rung up 213 to finish a point below the cut line.

Dora Daoud had little sympathy for her spouse.

"He should've stepped it up a notch," she joked.

Jessica McMakin and Lenas Star Acre won the go-round with 219. McMakin of Beaumont, Texas, wasn't able to sustain her success.

After losing a cow in the finals, she and her gelding left the working before time expired, which resulted in a zero score.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.