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Grade 2, $533,270 Oklahoma Futurity Headlines Rich Saturday Program at Remington Park
Piano Man Sam is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's 300-yard, $533,270 Oklahoma Futurity (G2) at Remington Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Grade 2, $533,270 Oklahoma Futurity Headlines Rich Saturday Program at Remington Park

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–MARCH 23, 2023–Shelly Coldwell Goodnight's Piano Man Sam, a homebred son of champion Tres Seis and the fastest qualifier, drew post 9 for Saturday's 300-yard, $533,270 Oklahoma Futurity (G2) at Remington Park.

Trained by James Goodnight, Piano Man Sam made his career debut with a one-length victory in the last of 17 Oklahoma Futurity trials on March 11. The brown gelding is the 3-1 morning-line favorite and will be ridden by Alonso Rivera.

Other contenders include Josefina Guzman's Colleys Cartel, a gelded son of champion Carters Cartel and the second-fastest qualifier. A $33,000 purchase at last year's Texas QHA Yearling Sale, Colleys Cartel made his debut with a one-length win in the 16th trial.

Colleys Cartel drew post 2 and will be ridden by Javier Hernandez-Gallardo for trainer Juan Diaz Jr.

Four other stakes will be contested at Remington Park on Saturday, including the 350-yard, $234,680 Oklahoma Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds.

Tres Crystals, a Tres Seis gelding trained by Dee Keener for owner Elizabeth Logan, is coming off of a 2-year-old campaign during which he earned $660,167 from seven starts and won two graded stakes, including Oklahoma's richest horse race, the 350-yard, $1.112-million Heritage Place Futurity (G1) at Remington Park. The gelding was a $30,000 purchase at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Tres Crystals drew post 10 and will be ridden by Bryan Candanosa.

Lawless Wallace, the fastest qualifier and 5-2 morning-line choice, drew post 9 and will be ridden by Jimmy Brooks for owners Ronald, Melany and Brad Shalz, and trainer Eddie Willis. A son of Tres Seis, the colt has won his last two starts, including the December 11, $50,000 Los Alamitos Two-Million Juvenile Invitational Stakes.

Also on Saturday, six aged runners are entered in the 350-yard, $50,000 Eastex Stakes (G2).

Brenda Reiswig's Apollitical Payoff, a homebred 4-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess, will be facing open graded stakes company off of his head victory in the 250-yard, $68,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes (RG3) for Oklahoma-breds on March 10. The gelding drew post 2 and will be ridden by Edwin Escobedo for trainer Jason Olmstead.

Sweet Dasha Fire, a Walk Thru Fire mare owned by Valeriano Racing Stables LLC and a full sister to 2015 world champion Heza Dasha Fire, will make the second start of her 4-year-old season in Saturday's 350-yard, $50,000 Decketta Stakes (G2) for distaffers.

Sweet Dasha Fire will be shortening in distance off of her fourth-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Famous Shining Star, in the January 1, 400-yard Charger Bar Handicap (G1) at Los Alamitos. The mare won last year's 400-yard, $137,000 PCQHRA Breeders' Derby (G3) at Los Alamitos, and she qualified to American Quarter Horse racing's richest and most prestigious race for older runners, the 440-yard, $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1).

Sweet Dasha Fire drew post 2 and will be ridden by Francisco Ramirez Jr. for owner Santos Carrizales Jr.

Saturday's 300-yard, $50,000 Oklahoma Juvenile Stakes has drawn eight 2-year-olds, headed by morning-line favorite Im Passing B.

An Oregon-bred son of Freighttrain B, Im Passing B is trained by Jorge L. Gonzalez for owners Family Racing LLC and Cimarron Nursery2 Inc. The gray colt is coming off of a half-length victory as the 5-2 favorite in the third Oklahoma Futurity trial on March 11.

Im Passing B drew post 8 and will be ridden by L.Salvador Martinez.

All Remington Park races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.