Racing


Especially Jess Was Especially Fast With Best Time In Remington Park Futurity Trials
Especially Jess, under jockey Jose Alvarez, posting the top time on night-one of the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity(RG1) trials with a 3-¾ length win at Remington Park Friday night.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Especially Jess Was Especially Fast With Best Time In Remington Park Futurity Trials

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—APRIL 2, 2021—Especially Jess smoked a field of training race horses on March 17 and followed that up with the most impressive win Friday, becoming the fastest qualifier on night one in the Remington Park Futurity trials.

The fastest five from Friday night’s trials will join the five best from Saturday night for the 10 qualifiers in the finals of the restricted Grade 1, $926,500 Remington Park Futurity for 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred Quarter Horses, going 330 yards. That final is scheduled for Saturday, April 17, along with the Remington Park Derby and six more stakes events.

Especially Jess ran to his bloodlines on Friday, taking after his sire Apollitical Jess, who won the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in California in 2010. His lifetime record was 14 starts, eight wins with four seconds for $1,339,831 in earnings. On top of that, as a sire, he has thrown some staggering winners, including All American Futurity winners Apocalyptical Jess and Mr Jess Jenkins. Apollitical Jess is the all-time leading single-season sire of money earners.

On the bottom side of Especially Jess’ pedigree shows him out of the Dashair mare Especially Tres, winner of the Sam Houton Futurity(G2) and 4th in the 2013 All American Futurity(G1).

Reimagine, under jockey Francisco Calderon, setting the second fastest time in the opening trial.
© Dustin Orona Photography
Consequently, it was no surprise when jockey Jose Alvarez was out of the gate on top in the fourth trial and was ahead of the field by a full length before one could blink. By the time the 6-5 wagering favorite hit the finish line, he was 3-3/4 lengths in front.

Trainer Trey Wood had given Alvarez a leg up for owners, and breeders, Mark and Annette McCloy of Jal, N.M. The sorrel filly was a $32,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale repurchase.

Especially Jess covered the 330 yards in :17.016 on a fast track, earning a speed index of 83, into a headwind of 15 mph, almost seven-tenths of a second faster than any other horse trying to qualify.

First Prize Dash 2 (#2) defeats fellow qualifier Ajs Tres Of Paint in the fifth trial. © Dustin Orona Photography
Jose Espinosa's Reimagine posted a 1-½ length win in the first trial under jockey Francisco Calderon to get the second fastest clocking of :17.085 seconds. Trainer Jose Lopez conditions the $29,000 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale graduate by world champion sire Freighttrain B from the Mr Jess Perry Splendifferous. AQHA Champion breeder Bobby D. Cox is the breeder.

First Prize Dash 2, a $48,000 Ruidoso Select Sale graduate, battled Ajs Tres Of Paint to a head win in the fifth trial to get the third fastest time of :17.146 seconds. Manuel Rodriguez trains the daughter of leading sire Apollitical Jess for owner MRB Racing LLC. Weetona Stanley and Raymond Loup bred the sorrel filly from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Pyc First Prize Dash.

Ajs Tres Of Paint held on for the fourth fastest time of :17.158 seconds for owner Guadalupe Calderon. Troy Carter conditions the Apollitical Jess filly out of Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby(RG3) winner A Tres Of Paint by Tres Seis. The Mixer Ranch is the breeder.

San Lorenzo Tay, under jockey Juan Pulido, winning the 8th trial on Friday's card. © Dustin Orona Photography
Friday's night's final qualifier San Lorenzo Tay was a two-length winner in the eighth trial for owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr. and trainer Kelly Heltzel. Juan Pulido rode the Ivory James gelding out of the First Down Dash mare Shes Dashin First. Breeder Bobby D. Cox sold San Lorenzo Tay in the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale for $69,000.

For the five fastest Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity(RG1) qualifiers from Friday night, with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

The second five fastest qualifier from each night of trials are preferred invites for the $100,000-Guaranteed Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Juvenile. For Friday's second five fastest CLICK HERE.

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Remington Park racing continues with 12 more events, 10 of them Remington Park Futurity Trials, on Saturday, April 3. The first post is 6pm-Central.

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Tracked by more than 165,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $258 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 is open daily for casino gaming and simulcast horse racing. The 2021 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues through May 29. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.