IM MISSMERIZED MESMERIZES COMPETITION WITH FASTEST TRAINING RACE AT REMINGTON PARK
Trainer James Gonzalez III not only sent out the fastest training race winner of the day on Wednesday at Remington Park with 2-year-old Quarter Horse colt Im Missmerized, but he was also the fastest of the meet in the 250-yard races.
This was the sixth day of training races predominantly for 2-year-olds preparing for the upcoming American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa meet that starts Thursday. Im Missmerized stopped the timer in :13.430 for an 86 speed index over the fast track. The colt raced under sunny skies with 68-degree temperature and no wind, a rarity in Oklahoma. In comparison, the slowest training race winner of the day happened in the fourth race when Paint Your Own Sixy, a Quarter Horse, raced and won in :14.036 for a 62 speed index.
Prior to Wednesday’s seven schooling races, the fastest time of the meet was by Heavens Uncle on Feb. 28 when the Uncle D colt for trainer Guillermo Valdivia put up a time of :13.53 for an 82 speed index.
Im Missmerized moved sharply to the front and held off his competition by a half-length at the wire under jockey Bryan Candanosa. He is a son of KVN Corona, out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Missmerizing, and was a $21,000 purchase at the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale last fall in Oklahoma City. He is owned by Hector Reza of Clive, Iowa.
Only one other horse had a training race win Wednesday, earning a speed index higher than 80. That was in the sixth race when Tempt Me Sass, a 2-year-old colt, ran a :13.538 in the sixth race for an 82 speed index. He also was sent out by Gonzalez and was a $90,000 buy for L/C Enterprise from the same sale as his stablemate.
Tempt Me Sass is by Tempting Dash, out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Sass Me. There were only three other horses that went to post Wednesday that recorded speed indexes of 80 or higher. Lews Muddybuddy, who ran second to the fastest winner of the day in the seventh race, recorded a time of :13.490. Had this 2-year-old colt by Big Lew been in any of the other six races, he would have won any of those. His time was the second-fastest of the day of any horses and he earned an 84 speed index for trainer Juvenal Licona-Vazquez. The third-place finisher in that heat earned an 81 with her :13.554 was BV My Darling Eagle from trainer Eddie Lee “Bubba” Willis’ barn. The only other one was BV Hello Goodbye in the sixth race, the second-place finisher to Tempt Me Sass. Bubba Willis also sent this colt out, a juvenile son of Dominyun.
The training race winners Wednesday (Quarter Horses and all 2-year-olds unless otherwise noted), their times (in order from fastest to slowest winners), speed index, trainers and race number were:
Im Missmerized, :13.430, 86, James Gonzalez III, race seven
Tempt Me Sass, :13.538, 82, James Gonzalez III, race six
Tickle the Ivory, :13.674, 77, Mallory Norton, race three
BV Eysa Corona, :13.685, 77, Bubba Willis, race two
Dontquestionmyhabit, ;13.712, 75, Salimm Hernandez, race five
Captain Fancy (Paint), :13.870, 69, Mallory Norton, race one
Paint Your Own Sixy, ;14.036, 62, Salimm Hernandez, race four
First post time Thursday night for the season opener is 6 p.m. with 12 races on tap. There are six trials featured for the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity on Thursday night.
Remington Park has provided more than $345 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 presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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