Racing


Snow Moose Breaks Maiden, Trainer Pascoe Saddles Top Five Alex Picov Memorial Futurity Finishers
Snow Moose (#10), under jockey Brian Bell, gets up over stablemate Valiant Chick Insnow (#4) in the $68,986(US) Alex Picov Memorial Futurity on Wednesday at Ajax Downs.

© Clive Cohen / New Image Media
Snow Moose Breaks Maiden, Trainer Pascoe Saddles Top Five Alex Picov Memorial Futurity Finishers

AJAX, ONT–OCTOBER 26, 2022–Snow Moose picked an opportune time to break his maiden when he defeated post-time favorite and stablemate Valiant Chick Insnow in the $68,986(US) Alex Picov Memorial Futurity on Wednesday. Another stablemate Maximize was a neck back in a blanket-finish to take third.

Trainer Jason Pascoe saddled the top five finishers in the 22nd annual Alex Picov Memorial Futurity, the richest race for Quarter Horses in Canada, on closing day at Ajax Downs.

Under jockey Brian Bell Snow Moose closed with a rush off the outside rail to score his first career win.  The Ontario-bred son of multiple stakes sire Separate Interest completed the 400 yards in :20.099 seconds, equaling a 94 speed index on a sloppy racing surface with a 13 mph tailwind.

Snow Moose races for owner-breeder Milena Kwiecien. The gray gelding, from the Favorite Cartel mare Favorite Pearl, has compiled a (5) 1-1-1 record this year and the $27,595(US) winner's purse boosted his bankroll to $31,123. After finishing third in his Rainbow Futurity trial at Ruidoso Downs last summer, he was second to fastest qualifier Valiant Chick Insnow in the October 5 Picov futurity trials.

The winning connections of Snow Moose accept the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity stakes trophy Wednesday afternoon at Ajax Downs. © Clive Cohen /New Image Media

"I was pretty confident in my horse," said Bell, 40, who was winning his 749th career race. "As big as he is, it was not too bad and on the outside, the track was pretty good. I thought that we had won fairly easily at first but didn't realize Milena's other horse [Valiant Chick InSnow] was that close on the inside."

Runner-up Valiant Chick Insnow earned $13,798 for her second-place effort. The Oklahoma-bred daughter of champion sire Valiant Hero is also a homebred racing for Kwiecien. J.B. Botello has the riding call.

After spending the summer in Ruidoso the royally bred filly broke her maiden at Ajax on September 14, then posted the fastest qualifying time on October 5. Out of the Apollitical Jess mare AJ Chick In 15, Valiant Chick Insnow has earned $21,539.

Kwiecien has built up a successful Quarter Horse breeding program in just a few years and raced both Snow Moose's dam and Valiant Chick Insnow dam at Ajax Downs.

"It's an incredible feeling to have bred such a nice horse," said Kwiecien. "He's such a big horse and I knew he would have to run them down."

Maximize, an Ontario-bred son of Ivory James from the Pascoe barn, earned $6,899(US) for third. Ricardo Moreno had the riding call for owner Belinda Taggart. Guylaine Paquin bred the multiple stakes-placed gelding from the Holland Ease mare Easily Holland.

A Shades Of Cold, Walklthruivory, Firstprize Charlotte, Francesca and Stanair completed the field.

Click the arrow below to watch the 22nd Alex Picov Memorial Futurity.

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Jockey Tony Phillips, who won three races on the 11-race card, won a tight battle for the 2022 leading rider at Ajax Downs over Ramiro Castillo, who also won three races on the last day of racing, and Brian Bell. The 2022 Ajax Downs Awards will be presented at its annual banquet on February 18, 2023, at the Ajax Convention Centre.

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Ajax Downs' Quarter Horse racing will return in May 2023.  Ajax Downs is open for simulcast wagering throughout the winter racing season.Keep up-to-date on news and events at Ajax Downs on social media @AjaxDowns and at www.ajaxdowns.com.  To find out more about how you can own a Quarter Horse or join a syndicate, contact the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario at www.qrooi.com.