FAMOUS CORONAS IS FASTEST QUALIFIER FOR GRADE 3 OKLAHOMA DERBY FINALS, TENTH SPOT DETERMINED BY SHAKE ELIMINATION
Twelve-time training title winner Eddie Willis had the fastest qualifier Sunday, Famous Coronas, for the Grade 3, $262,700 Oklahoma Derby finals scheduled at 350 yards for March 19.
For the second night in a row, the weather played a factor in the qualifying trials. None of the horses from the first three trials qualified over a fast track. Then a gully-washer of a rainstorm hit Oklahoma City and the track turned super-fast for the final four trials. The timing for Famous Coronas was impeccable as this 3-year-old Quarter Horse by One Famous Eagle, out of the Corona Cartel mare Sippn Secret Coronas, hit the track for the first heat after the rains poured unmercifully. His winning time, under jockey Justine Klaiber, was almost two-tenths of a second faster than any winner in the first three races.
A horse that had the fastest time before the rainstorm, Sabbatical Jess, almost held on to qualify at :17.535. In fact, he tied for the 10th-fastest time with Jesst for Speed, who ran second in the final trial of the night. When that happens, the racing office brings the connections of the two horses together and they have a shake (a roll of numbered dice, one to represent each horse) to determine who gets the final spot. Jesst for Speed won that shake.
Famous Coronas is owned by Zynda Racing (Thomas Zynda) of Anadarko, Okla. This gelding improved his record to eight starts, two wins, three seconds and two thirds for $42,242.
Four of the final 10 horses qualified out of Famous Coronas’ heat, the fourth trial. Two more qualifiers came from the fifth, sixth and seventh trials to complete the field. Famous Coronas won his trial with a 17 mph tailwind. He won the race by a half-length over 7-5 favorite Revenant Moon, who was another neck ahead of Freighttrain King in third. The fourth qualifier from that trial, Valerity, was another nose back in fourth.
The following were the 10 fastest qualifiers with times, speed index, race number, trainer and jockey:
1) Famous Coronas, :17.384, 97, trial four, Eddie Willis, Justine Klaiber
2) All Pointz Bulletin, :17.392, 97, trial five, Monty Arrossa, Francisco Calderon
3) Five Bar Barbie, :17.439, 96, trial six, Stacy Hill, Francisco Calderon
4) Revenant Moon, :17.463, 95, trial four, Trey Wood, Tanner Thedford
Tie 5) If U Could See Me, :17.481, 94, trial five, Salimm Hernandez, Mario Delgado
Tie 5) Saints New Weapon, :17.481, 94, trial six, Ed Hardy, Cristian Esqueda
7) Freighttrain King, :17.500, 94, trial four, Shawna Manriquez, Juan Pulido
8) Valerity, :17.505, 94, trial four, Jesus Ruiz, Paul Nieto
9) Dashing Movement, :17.510, 94, trial seven, Santos Carrizales, Juan Pulido
Tie 10) Jesst for Speed, :17.535, 93, trial seven, Mallory Norton, Gonzalo Gutierrez (Wins 10th and final spot in finals in a shake with Sabbatical Jess)
Remington Park racing continues Thursday through Sunday, March 10-13. The first race is 6pm nightly, except for Sunday when action begins at 4pm. All times are Central.
Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $286 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park is the home of the historic Oklahoma Futurity on March 19. Simulcast horse racing featured daily, the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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