ALL AMERICAN WINNER, REMINGTON PARK DERBY WINNER, APOCALYPTICAL JESS, FAVORITE IN SATURDAY’S $1 MILLION RAINBOW DERBY
Looking every bit the 2018 All American Futurity winner when he won the Remington Park Derby this spring, Apocalyptical Jess is ready to prove himself again in New Mexico.
The 3-year-old gelded son of Apollitical Jess, out of the Holland Ease mare Cassandra Crest, was established as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 $1,008,129 Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs after qualifying second fastest in the trials on July 7. An Oklahoma-bred, Apocalyptical Jess will once again be ridden by Ricky Ramirez for owner Bill T. Robbins of San Jose, Calif., and trainer Trey Wood. He will break from the far outside in the 10-hole in the Rainbow Derby.
Apocalyptical Jess built on his momentum from Remington Park when he shipped from Oklahoma City. In his first 2019 start at Ruidoso Downs, he won his Ruidoso Derby trial by two lengths in a time of 19.749 seconds for 400 yards, the quickest of the day by all competitors.
He won the Ruidoso Derby by a neck at 2-1 odds on June 8 to push his earnings above $2 million. His earnings now stand at $2,086,573, the fifth-highest mark in Quarter Horse racing history. If he takes the $423,414 first-place check in the Rainbow Derby, he will have earned $2,509,987 for his career and move him up to second on the all-time earnings list behind Ochoa who retired with $2,781,365 in earnings. Apocalyptical Jess has won 8-of-11 races lifetime.
Apocalyptical Jess is currently the top-ranked older American Quarter Horse of 2019.
TWO REMINGTON PARK RUNNERS FROM $1 MILLION HERITAGE PLACE FUTURITY QUALIFY FOR SUNDAY’S G1 $1 MILLION RAINBOW FUTURITY
Two of the top three favorites from the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park this spring have qualified for the final of the Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Sunday. Uncle D, the 9-5 post time favorite of Remington Park’s cornerstone race of the American Quarter Horse Season, and Jesses Dashair, the 9-2 third choice in the Heritage, qualified to run in the Rainbow final.
Uncle D, owned by Cavenaugh Quarter Horses, trained by Clint Crawford and ridden by Cody Smith, will try to improve off his second-place finish by three-quarters of a length to Uptowne Babe in the Heritage Place Futurity. That was only his second race lifetime. Smith will once again guide Uncle D in the Rainbow Futurity, from the number two post position at 7-2 odds. Jesses Dashair, owned by Celia Kensey and Sandy K. Wood, a mere $8,000 purchase, was squeezed at the start of the Heritage Place Futurity and ran last. She is attempting to rebound, from post-position six, for trainer Trey Wood with new jockey Tanner Thedford up. She is 6-1 morning line.
The Rainbow Derby on Saturday and the Rainbow Futurity on Sunday will be available via simulcast at Remington Park.
Tracked by more than 156,000 fans on Facebook and more than 9,900 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $222 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 resumes live racing with the start of the 2019 Thoroughbred Season on August 23. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.