Racing


Trainer Leon Bard Dominates Retama Park Derby Trials, Saddles Dash Quick Perry to Top Qualifying Spo
Dash Quick Perry, under jockey Francisco Calderon, set the fastest time in the $75,000-added Retama Park Derby Saturday night.

© Coady Photography
Trainer Leon Bard Dominates Retama Park Derby Trials, Saddles Dash Quick Perry to Top Qualifying Spo

SELMA, TX—JULY 15, 2017—Trainer Leon Bard saddled three winners and three qualifiers, including the two fastest, to the Retama Park Derby Saturday night.

The 10 fastest qualifiers, from five trials races run on Saturday, will return to Retama Park Saturday, July 29th to vie for the winners' share of a $75,000-added purse going 400 yards.

Bard kicked off the night when he saddled Dash Quick Perry to an impressive 1-¾ length victory in the second trial to get the fastest clocking of :19.644 seconds, a 106 speed index .

Jockey Francisco Calderon was aboard the stakes winner and Graded-placed son of Down N Dash owned-and-bred by Pete Scarmardo. Coming off a win in the Sam Houston Stakes in his last start, Dash Quick Perry has won six of 11 career starts and earned $82,293.

Scarmardo bred the sorrel gelding in Texas from the Mr Jess Perry mare Quickid Perry.

Calderon and Bard teamed again in the third trial with Tac My Time to get the second fastest time of :19.805 seconds, a 102 speed index. Gary Hartstack and Marco Ramirez own the stakes wining son of Tac It Like a Man from the Mr Eye Opener mare Timer Opener.

Bred in Texas by Chris Ables, Tac My Time won the Retama Park Juvenile Challenge last summer and was third in the Sam Houston Derby Challenge in his last start He has earned nearly $40,000.

Jockey Juan Vazquez rode Bard's third qualifier, Big Tex, to victory in the seventh trial. The homebred son of Mr Jess Perry races for owner-breeder Jerry Windham. A half-brother to world champion Stolis Winner, Big Tex recorded the sixth fastest time of :19.934 seconds. He is out of the Runaway Winner mare Viva Jean.

Trainer Eddie D. Willis, who got two finalist into the Retama Derby, saddled third fastest qualifier Feature Moonflash for owner James Sills. Jimmy Brooks rode the graded-placed son of First Moonflash to a :19.887 clocking, a 99 speed index.

Ivy Lane Racing bred the black gelding in Louisiana from the Feature Mr Jess mare Feature Lucy. A multiple stakes finalist and second in the Grade 3 Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge last summer, Feature Moonflash has earned more than $62,000.

For a complete list of qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys for the Retama Park Derby CLICK HERE.