TRES CRYSTALS NAMED CHAMPION HORSE OF THE MEET AFTER BECOMING FIRST HORSE TO WIN BOTH OKLAHOMA AND HERITAGE PLACE FUTURITIES
Tres Crystals has been named Remington Park’s Champion Horse of the Meet for the 2022 Quarter Horse / Paint / Appaloosa meeting, after becoming the first horse in the history of the track to win both the Oklahoma and Heritage Place Futurities.
Tres Crystals, owned by 95-year-old Elizabeth Logan of Haskell, Okla., and trained by Dee Keener, quickly became a Remington Park favorite, largely due to fans’ favorite Logan. The lovable nonagenarian was in tears after her 2-year-old gelding just barely got up, by a nose, for the win in the $1.1 million Heritage Place. She tried to keep her curly gray locks from blowing in her face as a 20-mph wind made them dance madly in the winner’s circle. She batted them away with her hand and tried to put into words what this horse has meant to her after jockey Bryan Candanosa won on him for the fourth time in four tries.
“I look so ratty,” she said, laughing through the tears. “I don’t have the words to express how I feel. It’s unbelievable. What do I say? I feel so blessed.”
The 2-year-old gelded son of Tres Seis, out of the Walk Thru Fire mare Crystal Sola, extended his winning streak to four in a row to start his career, winning both trials for the Oklahoma and Heritage Place Futurities and then capturing the finals on March 19 and on closing night, May 28, respectively. His record as he heads for Ruidoso Downs’ Rainbow and All American Futurity trials is 4-4-0-0 with earnings of $658,167. He was purchased for $30,000 at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Keener said Ruidoso would be his next stop to continue to try to catch more lightning in a bottle there with a horse that has already paid for himself 20 times over.
The race for the Champion Horse of the Meet came down to Tres Crystals and last year’s AQHA World Champion Danjer, who also received votes in the category after taking down the top race for older horses here, the Grade 1 $270,880 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship on closing night. The hard-knocking Jess My Hocks also received a vote for Champion Horse of the Meet with two stakes wins this meet. Tres Crystals also was voted unanimously the Champion 2-year-old of the meet.
Here’s a look at the Parade of Stars, the champions from Remington Park in 2022:
Danjer – Champion Older Male
Danjer won five stakes races at five different tracks last year to garner the title as AQHA World Champion and then put an exclamation on that record with a huge win in the Schauf this year. He showed, without a doubt, that he is far from done at 6 years old. In fact, trainer and part owner Dean Frey said the gelded son of Fdd Dynasty, out of the Take Off Jess mare Shez Jess Toxic, is on the same path as last year when he lost in the Leo Stakes at Remington Park and then won five of his next six starts in stakes company across the nation. Frey owns him in conjunction with Downtime Enterprises (Patrick Guthrie) and Billy G. Smith of Rancho Mirage, Calif. Danjer collected the majority of votes in this category with Jess My Hocks receiving several as well. Wascallywittlewabbit received one vote.
Danjer won in the Schauf for the second year in a row with regular rider Cody Smith. Smith was laid up with a broken bone in his left ankle and did not ride him in the Leo Stakes this year. Danjer’s record now is 28 starts, 16 wins, six seconds and three thirds for $1,665,813 in total earnings.
Wascallywittlewabbit – Champion Distance Runner
Wascallywittlewabbit won both of the 870-yard distance stakes here this meet – the Pauls Valley and the RP Distance Championship. His was a near-unanimous victor in this category. Oddly enough, Cold Brewster, a horse that ran fifth to Wascallywittlewabbit in the RP Distance Championship, received the lone wildcard vote.
The 7-year-old gelded son of Heza Motor Scooter, out of the Rabbits Rainbow mare Rabbits N Diamonds, has won seven of his last eight efforts around the hook, six in stakes company. There’s a reason Wascallywittlewabbit was voted AQHA Distance Champion last year and he could well be on his way to a repeat there. It also was his 11th win in his last 14 tries at 870 yards. He is owned by Rogers Farms (Jarret Rogers) of Clint, Texas, and trained by Michael Joiner. The gelding’s record is 24 starts, 13 wins and two seconds for a bankroll of $344,188.
Dreamsville – Champion 3-Year-Old
Dreamsville, by Hes Relentless, out of the Tres Seis mare Answer the Dream, won this category for Logan, after he won the Remington Park Derby, the trial for that final, an Oklahoma Derby and Heritage Place trial and then running third in the Heritage Place Derby. These victories along with those of Tres Crystals propelled Logan to the No. 1 owner by money during the meet with $827,885 earned.
Dreamsville is trained by Keener and was ridden to all his victories by jockey Jesus Salazar. Dreamsville became the first horse to win four times at the Remington Park meet, capturing the restricted Grade 2 $270,535 Remington Park Derby along the way, his biggest score. He ran third in the Heritage Place Derby to Whizkey Glasses, who also received votes in this category. Political Rose received votes for this title as well. There is no category for Champion 3-year-old Female or she would have likely won that. Dreamsville’s record now is 13-5-2-4, $273,977. Logan purchased Dreamsville for $40,000 from the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale in 2020.
Dreamsville also was voted Champion Oklahoma-bred, beating out Jess My Hocks, Political Rose and Whizkey Glasses, all of whom received votes.
Pops First Lady – Champion Older Female
This daughter of Apollitical Jess, out of the Shazoom mare Shazooms Pop Pop, was a two-time stakes winner at the meet, winning the Easy Date Stakes and the Junos Request. She had a strong majority of votes in this category, outdistancing A Dash of Sign. The 4-year-old mare is owned by Ruse Ranch (Leila Cantu) of Carlsbad, N.M., and trained by Duke Shults. Her two stakes wins came under Candanosa. Pops First Lady’s record is 13-5-4-1, $237,249.
Relentless Form – Champion Claimer
This was the most contentious race among the Champion categories as six horses all received tallies. In the end, it was the 3-year-old filly owned by Debra Diediker of Parsons, Ks., that was the winner.
Trained by Keener, this daughter of Hes Relentless, out of the Rare Form mare Unique Form, won two claiming races during the meet with maiden claiming $20,000 horses and then again with $20,000 claimers who had never won two races lifetime. She also was competitive stepping up in class to allowance non-winners of three lifetime with a third-place finish, beaten only a half length under the guidance of jockey Salazar each race. The young filly’s lifetime record is 5-2-1-1, $35,910.
Signs of Livewire – Champion Paint
This 2-year-old colt by Crm Livewire, out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Signs of Pyc, was unbeaten in all four races this meet, including two stakes races – the Oklahoma Paint and App Futurity and the Speedhorse Graham Futurity. He would be undefeated in everything he did this meet, except this vote, which was nearly unanimous. Livewires Turnpike, who won the Oklahoma Paint/App Juvenile, received one tally, despite running fourth to this Champion in the Speedhorse.
Signs of Livewire, owned by Jeff Adams of Durant, Ok., was a most impressive winner in the Speedhorse, finishing two full lengths ahead of his nearest competitor. Salazar rode him to all four trips to the winner’s circle for trainer Keener this meet. The son of the most prolific Paint sire these days ran his record to 4-4-0-0, $187,297.
Queen for Cash – Champion Appaloosa
Queen for Cash is a 4-year-old filly by Hes Relentless, out of the Ivory James mare Ivory Queen, and she won her category by a grand majority, as un upset winner at 32-1 odds in the Mister Lewie Memorial Stakes. It was her only win this meet here, but she beat some extremely tough Paints in this spot, taking down one of the best older Paints, Live Moonshine.
She is owned by Gary Vaughan of Coalgate, Ok., and trained by Jesus Ruiz. Jockey “Tall” Paul Nieto was aboard for her only trip to the winner’s circle this meet. Queen for Cash has a lifetime record of 14-5-1-2, $90,658.
Remington Park live racing will return with the beginning of the 2022 Thoroughbred Season on Aug. 19.
Tracked by more than 170,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $290 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 features simulcast horse racing daily and the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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