Racing


Mr Apollo Jess Fastest Saturday Qualifier By Far For $926,500 Remington Park Futurity
Mr Apollo Jess, with Juan Pulido up, wins his trial to set the top time on Saturday and the overall top qualifying time for the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity. The lucrative $926,500 final will be contested on April 17.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Mr Apollo Jess Fastest Saturday Qualifier By Far For $926,500 Remington Park Futurity

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—APRIL 3, 2021—Trainer Kelly Heltzel’s barn is as hot as an Apollo NASA liftoff and her horse named Mr Apollo Jess looked like a rocket in qualifying as the fastest horse overall horse over two nights of trials for the restricted Grade 1, $926,500 Remington Park Futurity.

Mr Apollo Jess will definitely be the horse to beat in that race for 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred Quarter Horses going 330 yards, scheduled for Saturday, April 17. No one is hotter than Heltzel at this race meet as she has started horses 10 times and won six, running second and third with two more.

Heltzel, a new face at Remington Park, only started one horse Saturday night and that was Mr Apollo Jess, a son of Apollitical Jess, out of the First Down Dash mare A Delightful Legacy.

Heltzel’s horses have earned $78,985 in 10 starts at Remington Park this year. Last year, she only started horses six times all year and the best she could do is one second and one third for $5,533 earned.

Mr Apollo Jess, with jockey Juan Pulido up, broke seventh from the gate and soon moved up to second in the stretch. From the No. 2 post position, he finally took over about halfway home and drew off to win by 1-¾ lengths in a time of :16.831 over the fast track, the only one of the 10 qualifiers to break the 17-second mark for 330 yards. He earned a speed index of 88 for the effort.

Em High Country and jockey Francisco Calderon won the second trial to get the second-fastest clocking on Saturday night. © Dustin Orona Photography
The second fastest qualifier for both nights had an 83 when Especially Jess ran :17.016 on Friday night (see related story).

Mr Apollo Jess, a $115,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate, is owned by Zitro Racing Corp (Pedro Ortiz-Castillo) of Forney, Texas.

He was bred in Oklahoma by Rancho El Cabresto Inc. The colt’s bloodlines were an indication that he might be something special. His sire, Apollitical Jess, is the all-time leading sire of money earners for a single season. He produced two All American Futurity winners – Apocalyptical Jess and Mr Jess Jenkins. His dam A Delightful Legacy won the All American Juvenile and has produced six black-type including champion and multiple stakes sire Inseperable and Graded stakes winner and third sire Seperate Interest.

Dreams Of The Heart, under jockey Raul Valenzuela, qualifying with a 1-½ length effort in the 9th trial Saturday.
© Dustin Orona Photography
In Mr Apollo Jess’ career debut, he broke dead last in a field of 10 horses and still passed them all at 250 yards to get up for the win on March 18 against maidens. He won by a neck at 9-1 odds that night.

Saturday night, Mr Apollo Jess was sent off as the heavy wagering favorite at 3-5 odds and paid $3.20 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.20 to show.

Eye Em Country, a son of second-crop sire Docs Best Card was a ¾ length winner in the second trial to get the second fastest time of :17.088 seconds on Friday night into a 13 mph headwind. Tammy Kay Johnson conditions the gray gelding for owner-breeder Efrain Mendez. Em High County was bred from the Mr Eye Opener mare Johns Party Girl. Francisco Calderon was up.

Nash Ridge, a colt by last year's leading first-crop sire of money earners Jess Good Candy finished second to fastest qualifier Mr Apollo Jess in the fourth trial to record the third fastest time of :17.109 seconds, into a 9 mph headwind. Jockey Rolando Raudales had the riding call for trainer Stacey Capps. A homebred racing for Randy Davis, Nash Ridge is from the Tac It Like A Man mare Made To Dash.

Trapper John, under jockey Jimmy Brooks, posted a 1- 1/3 length win in the 5th trial to get the final qualifying spot on Saturday night. © Dustin Orona Photography
Dreams Of The Heart, a $35,0000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate, broke the bubble in the trial 9 (race 11) to get the fourth fastest night 2 clocking of :17.115 into a 12 mph headwind. Dee Keener conditions the son of last year's leading third-crop sire Coronado Cartel for owner Unconquerable Racing LTD. Bred by J.G. Kelly, J.L. Yother and Nancy Yearsley, Dreams Of The Heart's dam is the Graded stakes winning and producing Tres Seis mare Answer The Dream. Raul Valenzuela was in the irons.

Another Oklahoma homebred, Trapper Jon, took the final qualifying spot after posting a 1-½ length win in the trial 5 for owner-breeder James Sills. Leading trainer Eddie D. Willis named Jimmy Brooks to ride the son of world champion sire Freighttrain B from the Strawflyin Buds mare Cp The Flirt.

For the five fastest Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity(RG1) qualifiers from Friday and Saturday 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 those horses CLICK HERE

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Remington Park racing resumes Thursday through Sunday, April 8-11, with the first race nightly at 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.