TWO JOCKEYS, RAUL VALENZUELA AND JUAN PULIDO, QUALIFY FOUR OF FIVE FASTEST IN FIRST NIGHT OF REMINGTON PARK FUTURITY TRIALS
Jockeys Raul Valenzuela and Juan Pulido qualified four of the five fastest qualifiers from the Friday trials for the Grade 1, $973,665 Remington Park Futurity.
The top five fastest times of Friday night join the five fastest from Saturday, April 2 to complete the top 10 finalists for the final of the 330-yard race for 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred Quarter Horses set for Saturday, April 16.
Valenzuela had the fastest horse of the night when Mitey Like a Rose won the fourth of 11 trials in a time of :16.897 for a speed index of 88 over the fast track. Owner Dunn Ranch (Matt Dunn) of Wynnewood, Okla., purchased this 2-year-old filly for $52,000 at the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale last fall. She is a daughter of FDD Dynasty, out of the Carters Cartel mare Cartel Rosie, trained by Monty Arrossa.
Mitey Like a Rose broke on top early and continued to separate herself from her competitors, drawing off to a 1-3/4 lengths victory as the 6-5 favorite in her heat. She lost by only a head in her only other career start against maidens.
Valenzuela also qualified the third-fastest of the trials when he booted home Lota Hot Mess for trainer Gerald Reed in the second race of the night at 12-1 odds. That 2-year-old gelding by Lota PYC, out of the Louisiana Senator mare I No Shes a Hot Mess, is owned by Reed Land and Cattle Company (Reed) of Seminole, Okla.
Lota Hot Mess had a horrible trip in his training race on March 9, finishing seventh of eight horses that morning, but never really had a chance in that schooler. With a clean trip in his trial, he showed his true ability winning by 1-1/4 lengths.
Last year’s top rider at Remington Park, Juan Pulido, also qualified a pair, winning race two with Jess Angel Blood and Eye On the Card, who held on to the fifth and final spot, after winning the first trial race of the night. Trainer Santos Carrizales sent both of those qualifiers out. Josefina Guzman of Dallas owns Jess Angel Blood and Omar Hernandez of Idaho Falls, Idaho, is the owner of the latter.
Jess Angel Blood, the even-money favorite in his race, remained undefeated after two starts. He is a gelded son of Apollitical Blood, from the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Fiero Royale. He won a maiden race here on March 3 by a head as the odds-on 4-5 favorite that night.
The only other qualifier came in the final trial of the night when Cartel Kisses skimmed over a wet racetrack that had been pounded with rain for an hour, but was still listed as fast. That 2-year-old filly by Kiss My Hocks, out of the Carters Cartel mare Midnight Cartel, was the only qualifier after the fourth trial of the night. Many juvenile hopefuls had tried six races in a row to break into the top 10, but to no avail.
Rodrigo Vallejo basically said watch this and rode Cartel Kisses to victory gate to wire from the rail in the fourth fastest time of the night in the finale. He put in the effort for trainer Heath Taylor and owners Larry and Bobbie Rice of Purcell, Okla.
The following were the five fastest qualifiers with times, speed index, race number, jockey and trainer for Friday:
1) Mitey Like a Rose, :16.897, 88, race four, Raul Valenzuela, Monty Arrossa
2) Jess Angel Blood, :16.900, 88, race three, Juan Pulido, Santos Carrizales
3) Lota Hot Mess, :16.954, 86, race two, Raul Valenzuela, Gerald Reed
4) Cartel Kisses, :16.962, 86, race 11, Rodrigo Vallejo, Heath Taylor
5) Eye On the Card, :16.965, 86, race one, Juan Pulido, Santos Carrizales
Live racing continues Saturday night at 6 p.m. with 11 more trials and concludes this week with a Sunday card that begins at 4 p.m.
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 will feature the richest futurity for state-breds, the $973,665 Remington Park Futurity on April 16. Simulcast horse is racing featured daily at Remington Park where the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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