Futurity/Derby Night at Remington

The American Quarter Horse Journal, March 17, 2010 – Don Hill’s homebred Traffic Wagon brings fast-qualifier status into a deep field, including eight trial winners, racing 300 yards in the $350,000 Oklahoma Futurity (G2) on Saturday night at Remington Park.

On the same card, the finals of the $125,000 Oklahoma Derby will also be run at the Oklahoma City track.

The Stacy Charette-Hill trained Traffic Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Traffic Ten Too by Dash Thru Traffic) impressed in her career debut by pulling out to a 1 1/2-length trial win with the fastest qualifying mark of :15.527.

Second-fastest qualifier Absolut Treasure (Desirio-Absolut Fortune by Stoli) also showed potential in his trial when he handily won by a length with a :15.565 time. The Reed Land and Cattle Co.-owned homebred is trained by J. Heath Reed.

Ed Melzer’s first-time starter Knuckles O Toole (Country Chicks Man-Ity Bitty Rarity by Rare Form) dominated his trial while pulling away to win by more than one length. The gelding was clocked in :15.599.

In the Oklahoma Derby, stakes winners Make It Bentley and Shakem Blue are set for a trial rematch over 350 yards.

James Sills and Gerald Swindell’s Make It Bentley (Make It Anywhere-Eye Opener Bentley by Mr Eye Opener) competed on the Oklahoma circuit last year and capped his juvenile campaign with a 10-1 upset win in the Black Gold Championship (G3) at Blue Ribbon Downs. He drew out in a sharp effort to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Make It Bentley made his 2010 debut in the Oklahoma Derby trials and raced to a narrow head win over Shakem Blue with the quickest qualifying time of :17.577.

Dan and Jolene Urschel’s Shakem Blue (Jess Louisiana Blue-Shakem Cash by Royal Shake Em) was credited with the second-fastest time of :17.587.

The gelding from the stable of eight-time defending national training champion Paul Jones won the Hialeah El Niño Handicap on December 27 and then was a close second in the $143,000 South Florida Derby. Overlooked at 20-1 odds, Shakem Blue was beaten by a neck over 440 yards after holding the early lead in the El Niño.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.

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Tags: American Quarter Horse Association, AQHA, Derby, equestrian competitions, futurity, Horse Racing, Quarter Horse, Remington Park

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