POLITICAL ROSE MADE 5-2 FAVORITE FOR RICHEST RACE IN OKLAHOMA HISTORY – $1,314,980 HERITAGE PLACE FUTURITY
The richest horse race in Oklahoma history will take place Saturday at Remington Park and Political Rose has been made the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Grade 1, $1,314,980 Heritage Place Futurity.
The Heritage Place Futurity and the other eight stakes races for Saturday, make up the “Night of Champions.” The evening features six Grade 1 events and total purses of $2,789,525, making it the richest night of racing ever conducted in Oklahoma.
The fastest 10 horses from two nights of Heritage Place Futurity trials, five from each night, make up the field of some of the top 2-year-old American Quarter Horses in the country. A horse that couldn’t qualify into the Heritage Place Futurity last year, Whistle Stop Café, went on to win the sport’s richest and most prestigious race, the $3 million All American Futurity.
Political Rose, owned by Dunn Ranch of Wynnewood, Okla., is one of two horses that trainer Monty Arrossa qualified for the finals. Political Rose and Sir Vyval (8-1) were the fastest and third-fastest qualifiers from the second night of trials on May 8. Jockey James Flores was aboard both for the trial wins. He has been named to ride Sir Vyval in the finals with West Coast rider Jesus Ayala coming in for the mount aboard Political Rose. Ayala is a multiple-graded stakes winning jockey whose mounts have earned $8,962,489 million in his career. He has won 530-of-2,468 mounts from 2015-2021 according to Equibase stats. Ayala was third in wins nationally last year and in 2016, and second in 2018 and 2017.
Political Rose, a daughter of Apollitical Jess, out of the Carters Cartel mare Cartel Rosie, raced 350 yards in her trial in a time of :17.951, only the second-fastest time of both nights, but her victory came into a slightly stiffer head wind than the first night. The horse she figures to vie with for favoritism is the fastest trial winner of both nights, LS Jacks Back (3-1), out of trainer John Stinebaugh’s barn. That 2-year-old gelded son of Corona Cartel, out of the Desirio mare PJ Chick in Black, stopped the timer in 17.861. It was the only start of his career but he won by three full lengths, coming off the fastest bullet workout of the meet at 250 yards. The little gelding with the big heart covered 250 yards on April 21 from the gate in :13.30 handily, the fastest of 104 horses that went that distance that day. He had previously won the fastest training race of the day at Retama Park near San Antonio in :13.82 on March 16. He is owned by Jack Smith Farms of Comber, Ontario, Canada. He retains the riding services of Francisco Calderon, Remington Park’s second-leading rider this meet.
Political Rose’s victory was no less impressive, winning by 2-3/4 lengths, and she has now won two races in a row. She broke her maiden on April 22 and then won her trial. Her only loss came against Oklahoma-bred 2-year-olds in the Remington Park Futurity trials on April 3 when she finished fourth.
AJs Tres of Paint, on the rail, is the highest earner in the field with $48,808. The 2-year-old colt by Apollitical Jess, out of the Tres Seis mare A Tres of Paint, qualified for the finals of the Remington Park Futurity and ran seventh after being brushed at the start of that $926,000 race. He came back to win his trial by 2-1/4 lengths, the second fastest of night two of the trials at :18.015. Rodrigo Vallejo got a leg up from trainer Troy Carter in the trials and will be back for the finals.
Julio Contreras of Laredo, Texas is the owner.
Two sires – Apollitical Jess and Hes Relentless – have more than one entry in the field. Apollitical Jess, sire of two All American Futurity winners, Apocalyptical Jess and Mr Jess Jenkins, is the father of AJs Tres of Paint, Sassalitical and Political Rose. Hes Relentless is represented by Relentless Anywhere and Dreamsville. Hes Relentless ran second in the Heritage Place Futurity in 2013 and seventh in the All American Futurity.
Here’s a look at the field from the rail out with post position, jockey, trainer and morning-line odds:
1) AJs Tres of Paint, Rodrigo Vallejo, Troy Carter, 5-1
2) Sassalitical, Jorge Torres, Clint Crawford, 10-1
3) Political Rose, Jesus Ayala, Monty Arrossa, 5-2
4) Sir Vyval, James Flores, Monty Arrossa, 8-1
5) LS Jacks Back, Francisco Calderon, John Stinebaugh, 3-1
6) Fiery Passage, Cristian Esqueda, Stacy Charette-Hill, 20-1
7) Relentless Anywhere, Jimmy Brooks, Eddie Willis, 10-1
8) PYCfastandfamous, Benito Baca, Stacy Charette-Hill, 20-1
9) Jet Black Grace, Juan Pulido, Fidencio Jimenez, 8-1
10) Dreamsville, Rolando Raudales, Dee Keener, 20-1
Four trainers have won the Heritage Place Futurity three times in history – the late Rodney Reed, Toby Keeton, Heath Taylor and Josue Ponce. Eddie Willis could move into a tie with them if he wins. G.R. Carter holds the record of most wins by a jockey with three. Vallejo, Larry Payne, Russell Hadley, and the late Jacky Martin have two each. Vallejo could move into a tie for first with a win aboard AJs Tres of Paint. He also won with Shott Gun last year and Stolis Winner, both for trainer Heath Taylor.
Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Saturday, May 27-29, for the final weekend of the season. The first race is at 6pm on Thursday and Friday, with a special early start time of 5pm on Saturday. All times are Central.
Tracked by more than 167,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $261 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 home to the $1.3 million Heritage Place Futurity on the “Night of Champions,” Saturday, May 29, the final evening of the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season. The casino is always open. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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