CALLING CHICKS WAS LONGSHOT TO WIN HIS HERITAGE PLACE TRIAL, BUT WAS EVEN LONGER SHOT TO BE FASTEST QUALIFIER, BUT HE DID
By Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 12, 2025 –Calling Chicks wasn’t expected to win his Heritage Place Futurity trial on Thursday at Remington Park; he was a longshot at 15-1 odds. He certainly was the surprise of the night when he was the fastest qualifier on night one, cementing a spot in the finals of this Grade 1 $1,161,010 race on May 31.
The Heritage Place Futurity is the cornerstone 350-yard race for 2-year-old American Quarter Horses, and is one of the most heralded futurities in the country annually. The fastest five horses from 13 trials on Thursday and the five fastest of 13 more trials on Friday will make up the field of 10 finalists for the million-dollar race.
In the fifth trial Thursday, Calling Chicks, a beautiful gray gelding by Eyesa Cashing Teller, out of the Fly Jess Fly mare Call Me Paratus, broke on top early under jockey Roman Cruz and never was headed. He looked more like 1-5 than 15-1 as he opened up to a three-quarters length victory in his heat. When he hit the line in :17.438 seconds, earning, a 95 speed-index on the fast track. It turned out to be the fastest time of the night, despite there being eight more trials to run. It was run with a slight tailwind behind him, virtually the same speed for every race Thursday night, between 5-8 mph.
No one could have expected this from a horse that had run fourth and fifth in his first two starts. The key, however, was that his first two tries came against futurity trial company, not maidens. In his first start for trainer Buddy Clay, Calling Chicks raced on a sloppy track in the Oklahoma Futurity trials and finished 1-1/4 lengths behind the eventual winner of the Remington Park Futurity – Flying Joy 1. The next time out, Calling Chicks faced Remington Park Futurity trial horses and could do no better than fifth, beaten 1-1/2 lengths. His speed index that night over a muddy track (90) was certainly good enough to win a trial for the Heritage Place and that’s just what he did on Thursday as the fastest qualifier. It was also the first time Calling Chicks had raced over a fast track. Possibly another determining factor as well.
Calling Chicks, bred in Oklahoma by Dr. Curtis Smith, broke his maiden in this trial and put a smile on the face of owner H E Racing (Hector Estrada) of Broken Arrow, Okla. He paid $32.60 to win, $10.60 to place and $3.80 to show across the board. Cruz, last year’s top rider at Remington Park for the first time, had ridden Calling Chicks in his first race, was off in the second start and then got back on him Thursday for one more chance. It paid off. It’s amazing that a horse that has earned only $9,649 in three starts, has a shot at winning a large portion of a million-dollar purse in three weeks, but that is the case. If that isn’t enough to make a great story, it must also be pointed out that the owner bought Calling Chicks for $8,000 from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in 2024.
Other than Calling Chicks, the fastest of the five qualifiers from Thursday night were (with jockey, trainer, trial number, times and speed index):
DR Americas Dynasty, Juan Pulido, Marco Chavez-Gutierrez, trial four, :17.481, 94
Hawkeye Vision, Joseph Belloc, Jr., James J. Gonzales III, trial four, :17.507, 93
Jess Flash the Cash, Ramiro Garcia, Jason Olmstead, trial five, :17.548, 92
Effortless Favorite, Francisco Ramirez, Jr., Jason Olmstead, trial nine, :17.561, 91
It was a great night of training for conditioners Marco Chavez-Gutierrez and Jason Olmstead. Chavez-Gutierrez might trade his night with Olmstead’s, even though the former won two more races than latter. Any other night, a training quadruple would have been an incredible evening of racing, but none of Chavez-Gutierrez’s four winners qualified for the finals of the Heritage Place Futurity.
Olmstead’s two winners did qualify. One of Chavez-Gutierrez’s winners, Apollirevenge, was the last eliminated from the bubble on the night. He lasted until Effortless Favorite won the ninth trial in a slightly faster time. Apollirevenge covered his 350 yards in :17.595 in the third trial, just three-hundredths of a second slower than the last finalist.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $377 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 year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season, features the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity on May 31, the final night of this meet. 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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Fair Meadows Overnight Wednesday, July 16: bit.ly/FMT-071625 *(𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝟷 & 𝟸 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜)* Post time 6:00PM ... ’Expand’See Less
The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission has discontinued processing award deductions for the transfer of ownership on OK Bred registered horses. You will need to submit your Transfer of Ownership application, W-9 (these are required annually), with a check, money order, or completed credit card authorization form, as well as a copy of the horse’s breed registration certificate, to update our records and have the award released.
You have one year from the date of the race to collect your award.
You can send your documents or any questions to the OKB Registry Department at OKBRED@OHRC.OK.GOV. ... ’Expand’See Less
In partnership with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA), all Oklahoma racetracks—Remington Park, Fair Meadows at Tulsa, and Will Rogers Downs—have announced expanded hair testing measures for the 2026 Quarter Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa race meets. While pre-entry hair testing has been a condition of entry since 2018, the updated policy builds on that foundation by introducing new layers of accountability and a unified approach across all tracks.
“We are expanding our integrity efforts and working to hold everyone accountable for the horses in their care,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “This is a collective effort among all Oklahoma tracks to protect the integrity of the sport and the welfare of the horse.”
The 2026 updates include a new provision that will exclude any trainer from participating at Oklahoma tracks for the remainder of a meet if three or more horses in their care test positive through official pre-entry hair tests for any prohibited substance. In addition, any owner with three or more positive tests during the meet will also be deemed ineligible to participate for the remainder of that meet.
Another upgrade to the policy is the expansion of unofficial testing. This informational hair-testing option will be available beginning with the fall yearling sales. These test kits can be requested through OQHRA. The hair samples can be collected by the owner or trainer and submitted to the lab for testing; results of these unofficial tests will not be considered official for entry purposes, but they will allow owners or trainers who have acquired horses from other barns to voluntarily test them in advance of entry to ensure they are clear of prohibited substances. It offers peace of mind, particularly before making financial commitments such as nomination fees, training investments, or early race preparations. It is important to note that many Sale Companies offer hair testing as a buyer protection within 24 hours of the sale; buyers are encouraged to contact the sales companies about the options available.
“Integrity is the backbone of everything we do,” said Matt Vance, Executive Vice President at Remington Park. “These policies help preserve the integrity of the sport by holding those who choose not to play by the rules accountable. We are proud to work with other Oklahoma tracks and OQHRA to lead the way in promoting fair competition in Quarter Horse racing.”
The core hair testing requirement remains in place: every Quarter Horse, Paint, or Appaloosa must submit to a one-time, pre-entry hair test before starting at any Oklahoma track. Official test results are sent directly to the racetrack, and positive results will lead to exclusion for the duration of that meet. These exclusions are track-specific only and do not constitute regulatory suspensions; participants remain eligible at other tracks unless a separate jurisdiction elects to take action. All horses with official positive tests will be listed publicly at www.OQHRA.com, and test results may be shared with other jurisdictions upon request.
To make the process easier for horsemen, farm visits for hair testing will be available in January and early February for Oklahoma-based trainers with 40 or more horses.
All details of the 2026 hair testing policy, including the unofficial testing option, are available at www.OQHRA.com or by calling (405) 881-5120. ... ’Expand’See Less
Won't matter Justin is so far ahead of the tracks, everyone knows you can't win a big race without the JRJ.
Thank you,
However we have got to get the results back presale from these yearlings sales at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino select sale and the New Mexico bred.
The Texas Quarter Horse sale needs it as well.
Oklahoma QHRA should at least mandate that the horse that are breeders and fitters are marketing for it be tested pre sale date with the horse .
Think of how Heritage Place would not want any part of a horse owner wanting his money back on a horse he bought from similar to large sale horse provider like the Flag Ranches size.
He would have to choose to do the right thing and force the return of the large ranch for illegal substances.
If we could get one sale barn to step up and require this
, we would owe it to them to get the others to follow suit to with the presale testing.
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CALLING CHICKS WAS LONGSHOT TO WIN HIS HERITAGE PLACE TRIAL, BUT WAS EVEN LONGER SHOT TO BE FASTEST QUALIFIER, BUT HE DID
By Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 12, 2025 – Calling Chicks wasn’t expected to win his Heritage Place Futurity trial on Thursday at Remington Park; he was a longshot at 15-1 odds. He certainly was the surprise of the night when he was the fastest qualifier on night one, cementing a spot in the finals of this Grade 1 $1,161,010 race on May 31.
The Heritage Place Futurity is the cornerstone 350-yard race for 2-year-old American Quarter Horses, and is one of the most heralded futurities in the country annually. The fastest five horses from 13 trials on Thursday and the five fastest of 13 more trials on Friday will make up the field of 10 finalists for the million-dollar race.
In the fifth trial Thursday, Calling Chicks, a beautiful gray gelding by Eyesa Cashing Teller, out of the Fly Jess Fly mare Call Me Paratus, broke on top early under jockey Roman Cruz and never was headed. He looked more like 1-5 than 15-1 as he opened up to a three-quarters length victory in his heat. When he hit the line in :17.438 seconds, earning, a 95 speed-index on the fast track. It turned out to be the fastest time of the night, despite there being eight more trials to run. It was run with a slight tailwind behind him, virtually the same speed for every race Thursday night, between 5-8 mph.
No one could have expected this from a horse that had run fourth and fifth in his first two starts. The key, however, was that his first two tries came against futurity trial company, not maidens. In his first start for trainer Buddy Clay, Calling Chicks raced on a sloppy track in the Oklahoma Futurity trials and finished 1-1/4 lengths behind the eventual winner of the Remington Park Futurity – Flying Joy 1. The next time out, Calling Chicks faced Remington Park Futurity trial horses and could do no better than fifth, beaten 1-1/2 lengths. His speed index that night over a muddy track (90) was certainly good enough to win a trial for the Heritage Place and that’s just what he did on Thursday as the fastest qualifier. It was also the first time Calling Chicks had raced over a fast track. Possibly another determining factor as well.
Calling Chicks, bred in Oklahoma by Dr. Curtis Smith, broke his maiden in this trial and put a smile on the face of owner H E Racing (Hector Estrada) of Broken Arrow, Okla. He paid $32.60 to win, $10.60 to place and $3.80 to show across the board. Cruz, last year’s top rider at Remington Park for the first time, had ridden Calling Chicks in his first race, was off in the second start and then got back on him Thursday for one more chance. It paid off. It’s amazing that a horse that has earned only $9,649 in three starts, has a shot at winning a large portion of a million-dollar purse in three weeks, but that is the case. If that isn’t enough to make a great story, it must also be pointed out that the owner bought Calling Chicks for $8,000 from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in 2024.
Other than Calling Chicks, the fastest of the five qualifiers from Thursday night were (with jockey, trainer, trial number, times and speed index):
It was a great night of training for conditioners Marco Chavez-Gutierrez and Jason Olmstead. Chavez-Gutierrez might trade his night with Olmstead’s, even though the former won two more races than latter. Any other night, a training quadruple would have been an incredible evening of racing, but none of Chavez-Gutierrez’s four winners qualified for the finals of the Heritage Place Futurity.
Olmstead’s two winners did qualify. One of Chavez-Gutierrez’s winners, Apollirevenge, was the last eliminated from the bubble on the night. He lasted until Effortless Favorite won the ninth trial in a slightly faster time. Apollirevenge covered his 350 yards in :17.595 in the third trial, just three-hundredths of a second slower than the last finalist.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $377 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 year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season, features the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity on May 31, the final night of this meet. 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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Wednesday, July 16: bit.ly/FMT-071625
*(𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝟷 & 𝟸 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜)*
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13 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission has discontinued processing award deductions for the transfer of ownership on OK Bred registered horses. You will need to submit your Transfer of Ownership application, W-9 (these are required annually), with a check, money order, or completed credit card authorization form, as well as a copy of the horse’s breed registration certificate, to update our records and have the award released.
You have one year from the date of the race to collect your award.
You can send your documents or any questions to the OKB Registry Department at OKBRED@OHRC.OK.GOV. ... ’Expand’See Less
20 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫-𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲
In partnership with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA), all Oklahoma racetracks—Remington Park, Fair Meadows at Tulsa, and Will Rogers Downs—have announced expanded hair testing measures for the 2026 Quarter Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa race meets. While pre-entry hair testing has been a condition of entry since 2018, the updated policy builds on that foundation by introducing new layers of accountability and a unified approach across all tracks.
“We are expanding our integrity efforts and working to hold everyone accountable for the horses in their care,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “This is a collective effort among all Oklahoma tracks to protect the integrity of the sport and the welfare of the horse.”
The 2026 updates include a new provision that will exclude any trainer from participating at Oklahoma tracks for the remainder of a meet if three or more horses in their care test positive through official pre-entry hair tests for any prohibited substance. In addition, any owner with three or more positive tests during the meet will also be deemed ineligible to participate for the remainder of that meet.
Another upgrade to the policy is the expansion of unofficial testing. This informational hair-testing option will be available beginning with the fall yearling sales. These test kits can be requested through OQHRA. The hair samples can be collected by the owner or trainer and submitted to the lab for testing; results of these unofficial tests will not be considered official for entry purposes, but they will allow owners or trainers who have acquired horses from other barns to voluntarily test them in advance of entry to ensure they are clear of prohibited substances. It offers peace of mind, particularly before making financial commitments such as nomination fees, training investments, or early race preparations. It is important to note that many Sale Companies offer hair testing as a buyer protection within 24 hours of the sale; buyers are encouraged to contact the sales companies about the options available.
“Integrity is the backbone of everything we do,” said Matt Vance, Executive Vice President at Remington Park. “These policies help preserve the integrity of the sport by holding those who choose not to play by the rules accountable. We are proud to work with other Oklahoma tracks and OQHRA to lead the way in promoting fair competition in Quarter Horse racing.”
The core hair testing requirement remains in place: every Quarter Horse, Paint, or Appaloosa must submit to a one-time, pre-entry hair test before starting at any Oklahoma track. Official test results are sent directly to the racetrack, and positive results will lead to exclusion for the duration of that meet. These exclusions are track-specific only and do not constitute regulatory suspensions; participants remain eligible at other tracks unless a separate jurisdiction elects to take action. All horses with official positive tests will be listed publicly at www.OQHRA.com, and test results may be shared with other jurisdictions upon request.
To make the process easier for horsemen, farm visits for hair testing will be available in January and early February for Oklahoma-based trainers with 40 or more horses.
All details of the 2026 hair testing policy, including the unofficial testing option, are available at www.OQHRA.com or by calling (405) 881-5120. ... ’Expand’See Less
2 days ago
Comment on Facebook
Won't matter Justin is so far ahead of the tracks, everyone knows you can't win a big race without the JRJ.
Thank you, However we have got to get the results back presale from these yearlings sales at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino select sale and the New Mexico bred. The Texas Quarter Horse sale needs it as well. Oklahoma QHRA should at least mandate that the horse that are breeders and fitters are marketing for it be tested pre sale date with the horse . Think of how Heritage Place would not want any part of a horse owner wanting his money back on a horse he bought from similar to large sale horse provider like the Flag Ranches size. He would have to choose to do the right thing and force the return of the large ranch for illegal substances. If we could get one sale barn to step up and require this , we would owe it to them to get the others to follow suit to with the presale testing.
Who get the samples from the horses and when
How actual fuck did we ever get to this point?
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