Cardiac Cowboy, shown winning his trial for the Heritage Place Derby on May 11, is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 2 final on Saturday, June 1 at Remington Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park

BY RICHARD LINIHAN

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK– MAY 31, 2024–The fastest qualifier for the Grade 2, $239,050 Heritage Place Derby, Cardiac Cowboy, and the top money earner in the field, Dollar Bill, have been made the top two favorites for the major race Saturday at Remington Park.

Morning-line maker Jerry Shottenkirk has installed Cardiac Cowboy as the 3-1 favorite, just ahead of Dollar Bill at 7-2 odds. Jockey Ramiro Garcia pushed him to the front in his Derby trial and was the fastest to finish his 400-yard trial in a time of :19.667 for a 94 speed index on May 11. Garcia also qualified the third-fastest in the trials in Jess a Rednec Cowboy. Both are from the barn of trainer Jason Olmstead. Garcia will stay aboard Cardiac Cowboy for the final.

Cardiac Cowboy is a 3-year-old gelding by Flying Cowboy 123, out of the Carters Cartel mare Southard Cartel, and has won 5-of-11 starts lifetime and has had two seconds and one third for a bankroll of $217,453. He is a stakes winner, having taken the $204,000 Valley Junction Futurity last year at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, on Sept. 29. That was at a distance of 350 yards and at one point in the race he was eighth in the field of 10, 3-3/4 lengths behind. He showed a tremendous burst to win that race by a half-length. Cardiac Cowboy is owned by Jo Rice of Pryor, Okla., and is a home-bred for her.

Dollar Bill, trained by Juan Diaz, Jr., is easily the top money-earner in the field with $539,089 in his wallet after only 10 races. The closest to him in bankroll is Unrelentless (15-1) at $267,376. Dollar Bill, a gelding by Kiss My Hocks, out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Jakes Painted Wagon, is a graded stakes winner and has won six of eight of his last eight starts and his biggest win came in the Grade 1, $682,500 Texas Quarter Horse Association Sales Futurity last year at Retama Park, near San Antonio, on Aug. 5. Jockey Nestor Duran qualified him with the second-fastest time in the Derby trials of :19.783 (91 speed-index) and stays aboard for the finals. He is owned by Genesis Tovar of Boerne, Texas.

He was bred in Texas by Tyler and Naia Graham. Dollar Bill was purchased for $39,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale in 2022. His record is 10-7-1-1.

The third favorite in the Derby is Believe in Perry, a three-time winner in nine career starts for $34,490 in earnings. Although his bankroll is light compared to most of the others in this race, he proved he is light on his feet, qualifying with the fourth-fastest time of :19.829 (90 speed-index). The gelded son of Mr Jess Perry, out of the Valiant Hero mare Believe Me Irene, has yet to win a stakes race, but appears to be a competitor that belongs in here. Jockey Ali Rivera was in the saddle for the trials and will again get a leg up from trainer John Stinebaugh.

He was bred in Texas by Gary and Linda Gordon and was bought for $95,000 by owners Henry and Mimi Brown of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Seven of the 10 runners in the Derby field have already broken the $100,000 mark in earnings and 12-time record training title winner Eddie Willis qualified three of the top 10. His horses all drew to the inside of the track. Jockey Justine Klaiber qualified all three finalists for Willis and will ride Unrelentless, the second top earner in the field, in the final.

Here’s a look at the Derby field with post position, jockey, trainer and odds:

1. Politiko, Jhaciel Soto, Eddie Willis, 15-1
2. Unrelentless, Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis, 15-1
3. MFS Cheerio, Jimmy Brooks, Eddie Willis, 8-1
4. Cardiac Cowboy, Ramiro Garcia, Jason Olmstead, 3-1
5. JC Prince of Torts, Juan Pulido, Toby Keeton, 10-1
6. KG See If I Care, Gonzalo Gutierrez, Kasey Willis, 15-1
7. Dollar Bill, Nestor Duran, Juan Diaz, Jr., 7-2
8. SC Time to Run, Francisco Calderon, Jed Vane, 6-1
9. Believe in Perry, Ali Rivera, John Stinebaugh, 5-1
10. Jess a Rednec Cowboy, Jorge Torres, Jason Olmstead, 8-1

The Heritage Place Derby is the 10th of 12 races on Champions Night to conclude the 2024 spring season. Total purses on the evening are $2,442,555 with the final nine events all stakes races. The Grade 1 races on the program include:

Race 4: $35,000 Speedhorse Graham Paint/Appaloosa Stakes, 3-year-olds, 350 yards

Race 5: $230,475 Speedhorse Graham Paint/Appaloosa Futurity, 2-year-olds, 350 yards

Race 7: $50,000 Remington Park Distance Championship, 3 and older, 870 yards

Race 8: $100,000 Junos Request Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and older, 400 yards

Race 9: $250,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship, 3 and older, 440 yards

Race 12: $1,081,820 Heritage Place Futurity, 2-year-olds, 350 yards

The Champions Night on Saturday, June 1 starts at 5pm-Central.

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About Remington Park
Remington Park has provided more than $349 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 presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The Remington Park 2024 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues through June 1 with the biggest racing program of the season. The Champions Night boasts total purses in excess of $2,000,000, led by the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.