Jockey Jesus Ayala rode Jay W to the fastest qualifying time on Night 2 of trials for the Grade 1 $1,161,010 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park.

© Louanne Wainscott / StallioneSearch

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch.com

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 9, 2025—Jockey Jesus Ayala rode Jay W to his first career win in the third trial on Night 2 to post the fastest qualifying time for the Grade 1 $1,161,010 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park.

The Heritage Place Futurity is a cornerstone race for 2-year-old American Quarter Horses. It is one of the most heralded futurities in the country annually, as well as the richest horse race in Oklahoma. The winner's purse is valued at $487,624.

The fastest five horses from 13 trials tonight will join the five fastest from 13 trials last night to make up the field of 10 finalists for the million-dollar race to be contested on Saturday, May 31.

Ayala guided Jay W to a three-quarter length victory and the fastest qualifying time of 17.407 seconds, a 98 speed index, with a 17 mph tailwind. In two previous starts, the son of champion sire Valiant Hero was fourth in a maiden and second in the Oklahoma Futurity trials.

Leading trainer Dee Keener saddled the $42,000 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale graduate for owner Elizabeth Logan, who won Oklahoma’s richest horse race in 2022 with Tres Crystals..

“She wasn’t here,” said Keener, of Logan on trials night, “but, I’ll bet she was at the simulcast facility in Tulsa (Okla.). She can’t really see anymore, but she has a woman who drives her, and, oh yeah, she will be here for the finals with this horse. She has to have her friends tell her how her horse is doing during a race.”

Jordan Wiggins and Lindsey Cheek bred Jay W from the Apollitical Jess mare A Political Phoebe in Oklahoma. He is from A Political Phoebe's first crop of foals. The second dam is a sister to stakes winner and sire Flare For Toby, and the third dam is the champion mare Special Phoebe.

Jockey Juan Pulido rode Jess A Good Angel to his first career win in the fifth trial to get the second fastest clocking of 17.466 seconds, a 94 speed index with a 17mph tailwind. Trainer and breeder Christian Alcala saddled the son of champion Jess Good Candy for owner Alcala Ranch LLC.

A troubled sixth in his first out, a trial for the Remington Park Futurity(RG1), Jess A Good Angel was bred in Oklahoma from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Sin Tachas Angel.

Jess A Good Angel is a half-sibling to multiple stakes winner Tachas Secret. This is the family of world champion Streakin Sin Tacha and Grade 3 winner Sin Tacha Perry.

Flying Policy 123, under jockey Edwin Escobedo, went straight to the front and never looked back while winning the sixth trial by one length. His 17.512 clocking, a 93 speed index with a 13 mph tailwind, was the third fastest on Night 2.

Trainer Michel Joiner saddled the Oklahoma-bred daughter of leading third-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 to his first win in two starts for owner Clay Seal. Bill Price bred the bay filly from Bp Tres Seis Policy, a daughter of leading broodmare sire Tres Seis.

Cyber Command III, under jockey Bryan Candanosa, finished three-quarters off Jay W in the fastest trial to get the fourth fastest clocking of 17.407 seconds, a 96 speed index with a 17 mph tailwind. Kash Reed conditions the son of first-crop sire Cyber Monday for owner Rudy Rudolfo Munoz.

Jovetta Meredith bred the bay gelding in Oklahoma from the multiple stakes-placed Apollitical Jess mare Df Apollitical Sign.

Coronados 123, under jockey Mario Delgado, scored a nose win in the eighth trial to secure the final slot on Night 2. The bay colt clocked the 350 yards in 17.565, a 91 speed index with an 8 mph tailwind.

Trainer Juvenal Licona-Vazquez saddled the son of Flying Cowboy 123 to his second win in three starts this season for owner-breeder Angelica Gil.

Coronados 123's only loss this season was a fifth-place effort in the Grade 2 Oklahoma Futurity. An earner of $43,973, he is out of the stakes-placed Coronado Cartel mare Coronados Lady, a finalist in the Heritage Place Futurity(G1) in 2020.

The five qualifiers will join the five from Thursday's trial races (see related story) in the May 31 final.

CLICK HERE for the complete list of Heritage Place Futurity qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys.

The second five fastest qualifiers from each night are preferred invites to the $100,000-Guaranteed Heritage Place Juvenile, which will also run back on Saturday, May 31. CLICK HERE for those horses.

Remington Park returns with 10 races on Saturday night with a 5:00 p.m. ICDT) first post. Races 3 thru 6 will feature trials for the Grade 2 Heritage Place Derby.

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Remington Park has provided more than $377 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the casino's opening in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season will begin on March 6. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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