Racing


Devins Project Battles Tarish for Top Black Gold 440 Championship Futurity Time
Devins Project (#7) out nods Tarish (#4) to get the fastest qualifying time in Friday's Black Gold 440 Championship Futurity trials at Will Rogers.

© Coady Photography
Devins Project Battles Tarish for Top Black Gold 440 Championship Futurity Time

CLAREMORE, OK—OCTOBER 26, 2018—Under jockey Robert Valero, Devins Project (22-1) out nodded Tarish at the wire to get the top qualifying time from six trials contested on Friday for the Black Gold 440 Championship Futurity at Will Rogers Downs.

The 10 fastest qualifiers, from the fifty-four 2-year-olds who participated in today's trial races, will return to Will Rogers Downs on Saturday, November 10th to vie for the winner's share of a $266,765 purse. Another $14,040 will be distributed in stallions awards.

An Oklahoma homebred racing for owner/breeder Kenneth Ruthardt, Devins Project raced over the 440 yard muddy (sealed) surface in the :21.775 seconds, a 93 speed index into a 7 mph headwind, to get the top qualifying mark.

Trainer Shawna Manriquez conditions the son of world champion Oak Tree Special from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Fantastic Follies. After a fourth-place effort in the Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity at Canterbury Park last summer, the brown gelding won his trial for the Black Gold 350 Championship Futurity then finished sixth in an Allowance at Prairie Meadows in his last start on October 5th.

A winner of three of six starts, Devins Project has banked $20,719.

Coming off a seventh-place finish in his last start in the Black Gold 350 Championship Futurity, Tarish held on for the second fastest time of :21.805 seconds, a 92 speed index.

Jockey James Flores rode the son of three-time champion Prospect To The Top for owner J. Loyd Yother and trainer Dee Keener. Bred in Oklahoma by William E. Smith, from the Grade 1 winning Shazoom mare Fast Prize Zoom, Tarish has compiled a (5) 2-2-0 record and earned $26,311 this season. He also won his trial for the Heritage Place Futurity(G1) at Remington Park.

The fastest three qualifiers came out of the fifth trial with Black Gold 350 Championship Futurity winner finishing a half-length off Tarish to get the third fastest time of :21.888, a 90 speed index.

Randy Wilson rode Viva Le Don for trainer Tammy Kay Johnson's Rocking J Running Horses. She and Jack Manning co-bred the Rock Solid Jess gelding in Texas form the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Viva Arriba. Vive Le Don has won two of six starts and banked $122,181 this season.

Jose Guzman's lightly raced homebred Temptigsecretly got a neck win in the third trial (race 4) to score the fourth fastest time of :21.898, also a 90 speed index.

In just his fourth career start the son of champion sire Tempting Dash picked up his second straight win for trainer Amanda Tongay. James Flores was aboard the Oklahoma-bred gelding out of Belle Of The Cartel by Corona Cartel.

For the complete list of qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.