COWBOY BLUE Z DAZZLES IN SOPHOMORE DEBUT WITH FASTEST TIME OF OKLAHOMA DERBY TRIALS AT REMINGTON PARK
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – March 8, 2025 – Cowboy Blue Z made his first appearance as a 3-year-old a sparkling one in the trials for the Grade 3, $219,635 Oklahoma Derby as the fastest runner of the day in the eight heats Sunday at Remington Park.
The finals for the Oklahoma Derby are scheduled for Saturday, March 22, and jockey Francisco Calderon will have a decision to make. He not only qualified the quickest of the day, Cowboy Blue Z for trainer Michael Joiner, but Calderon also locked in the third-fastest. That was Apollitical Muse, conditioned by Jed Vane. Cowboy Blue Z stopped the timer for 350 yards in :17.364 seconds over a fast track while Apollitical Muse checked in at :17.631. The former recorded a 97 speed index while the latter had an 89. Calderon also got Tempt Me Sass into the final field as the ninth-fastest.
Trainer Raul Ramirez had a training double with two qualifiers – Apollitical Time (fourth fastest) and Nine One Won, who was in a three-way tie for sixth as three horses had the exact same time of :17.692. Four of the top five qualifiers came from the same race – six, trial four. Only Apollitical Muse came out of a different heat in race seven, trial five. The wind was an inconsequential factor during the trials with a slight tailwind blowing throughout.
Cowboy Blue Z, a sophomore colt by Flying Cowboy 123, out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Indescribably Blue, showed some promise last year at Remington Park, Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, and Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. As a juvenile, Cowboy Blue Z won a trial for the $502,000 Oklahoma Futurity. He ran fourth in the final, losing by only a length to Joose Box. After his stay in Oklahoma City, the colt moved on to Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico where he won a Ruidoso Futurity trial on May 24, but did not qualify for the final. At Lone Star Park on Oct. 25 he ran second in a trial for the $921,000 Texas Classic Futurity, losing by a half-length, but didn’t fare well in the finals, running seventh, well beaten. He had not raced in more than three months when he showed up like a million dollars in Sunday’s trials.
Cowboy Blue Z was purchased for $120,000 by owner West Texas Racing Partners (Joe Dee Brooks) of Levelland, Texas, from the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale in 2023. He has almost made his purchase price back now with a bankroll of $100,289 after the trial win. He has a race record of nine starts, four wins and one second.
The 10 fastest runners in Sunday’s six trials for 3-year-old American Quarter Horses at 350 yards (with jockey, trainer, trial number (race number), times and speed index were:
Cowboy Blue Z, Francisco Calderon, Michael Joiner, trial four (race six), :17.364, 97
Nine One Won, Mario Delgado, Raul Ramirez, trial six (race eight), :17.692, 88
Fairlea Flyin, Jimmy Brooks, Eddie Lee Willis, trial four (race six), :17.692, 88
Baby Ruth, Edwin Escobedo, Luis Villafranco, trial two (race four), :17.692, 88
Tempt Me Sass, Francisco Calderon, James J. Gonzales III, trial six (race eight), :17.696, 88
Beast N Me, Edwin Escobedo, Joe Davis, trial five (race seven), :17.719, 87
Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16 with the first race nightly at 6pm. Sunday racing begins at 4pm. All times are Central.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $376 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 historic 84th edition of the Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 22. 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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Schooling Race Reminder for Owners and Trainers
✔️ Funds must be in the owner’s account at the time of entry for schooling races ✔️ Horse registration papers must be on file in the office at the time of entry ✔️ Schooling race fee: $125.00 per horse
💰 Accepted payment methods: • Personal check • Cashier’s check • Cash • Bank wire transfer 🚫 Credit cards are NOT accepted
📬 If you are mailing funds, please allow adequate time for postal delivery. Funds must be posted to the specific owner account that owns the schooling horse at the time of entry.
🤝 Partnerships: If the horse is owned by a partnership, please be sure the bookkeeper knows which partnership account the funds should be deposited into.
For questions or to coordinate deposits, please contact: Gedda Quinonez Horsemen’s Bookkeeper One Remington Place Oklahoma City, OK 73111 📞 405-419-4424 (Direct) Horsemensbookkeeper@remingtonpark.com ... ’Expand’See Less
Horses for in the Oklahoma Trials MUST be hair tested by this Thursday 2/12. Schedule ASAP but no later than noon the day before (405) 881-5120 ... ’Expand’See Less
When does the schooling races start for the Young horses
Trainer Workers Comp info.
CompSource is no longer the state agent in Oklahoma, and the new state agent is NCCI. Because of that change, CompSource is no longer required to cover high-risk employers, so some folks are getting denied at renewal.
NCCI website can look up agent info and see what their options are: www.ncci.com (We’ve talked to Jackson with Stavely Insurance in Sallisaw, and he has written policies for some trainers. His number is (918) 775-4344.)
Please note: it takes a couple of days to get the policy processed so please plan ahead and don’t wait until the day you need the certificate! ... ’Expand’See Less
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COWBOY BLUE Z DAZZLES IN SOPHOMORE DEBUT WITH FASTEST TIME OF OKLAHOMA DERBY TRIALS AT REMINGTON PARK
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – March 8, 2025 – Cowboy Blue Z made his first appearance as a 3-year-old a sparkling one in the trials for the Grade 3, $219,635 Oklahoma Derby as the fastest runner of the day in the eight heats Sunday at Remington Park.
The finals for the Oklahoma Derby are scheduled for Saturday, March 22, and jockey Francisco Calderon will have a decision to make. He not only qualified the quickest of the day, Cowboy Blue Z for trainer Michael Joiner, but Calderon also locked in the third-fastest. That was Apollitical Muse, conditioned by Jed Vane. Cowboy Blue Z stopped the timer for 350 yards in :17.364 seconds over a fast track while Apollitical Muse checked in at :17.631. The former recorded a 97 speed index while the latter had an 89. Calderon also got Tempt Me Sass into the final field as the ninth-fastest.
Trainer Raul Ramirez had a training double with two qualifiers – Apollitical Time (fourth fastest) and Nine One Won, who was in a three-way tie for sixth as three horses had the exact same time of :17.692. Four of the top five qualifiers came from the same race – six, trial four. Only Apollitical Muse came out of a different heat in race seven, trial five. The wind was an inconsequential factor during the trials with a slight tailwind blowing throughout.
Cowboy Blue Z, a sophomore colt by Flying Cowboy 123, out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Indescribably Blue, showed some promise last year at Remington Park, Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, and Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. As a juvenile, Cowboy Blue Z won a trial for the $502,000 Oklahoma Futurity. He ran fourth in the final, losing by only a length to Joose Box. After his stay in Oklahoma City, the colt moved on to Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico where he won a Ruidoso Futurity trial on May 24, but did not qualify for the final. At Lone Star Park on Oct. 25 he ran second in a trial for the $921,000 Texas Classic Futurity, losing by a half-length, but didn’t fare well in the finals, running seventh, well beaten. He had not raced in more than three months when he showed up like a million dollars in Sunday’s trials.
Cowboy Blue Z was purchased for $120,000 by owner West Texas Racing Partners (Joe Dee Brooks) of Levelland, Texas, from the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale in 2023. He has almost made his purchase price back now with a bankroll of $100,289 after the trial win. He has a race record of nine starts, four wins and one second.
The 10 fastest runners in Sunday’s six trials for 3-year-old American Quarter Horses at 350 yards (with jockey, trainer, trial number (race number), times and speed index were:
Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16 with the first race nightly at 6pm. Sunday racing begins at 4pm. All times are Central.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $376 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 historic 84th edition of the Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 22. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Facebook Feed
Schooling Race Reminder for Owners and Trainers
✔️ Funds must be in the owner’s account at the time of entry for schooling races
✔️ Horse registration papers must be on file in the office at the time of entry
✔️ Schooling race fee: $125.00 per horse
💰 Accepted payment methods:
• Personal check
• Cashier’s check
• Cash
• Bank wire transfer
🚫 Credit cards are NOT accepted
📬 If you are mailing funds, please allow adequate time for postal delivery. Funds must be posted to the specific owner account that owns the schooling horse at the time of entry.
🤝 Partnerships:
If the horse is owned by a partnership, please be sure the bookkeeper knows which partnership account the funds should be deposited into.
For questions or to coordinate deposits, please contact:
Gedda Quinonez
Horsemen’s Bookkeeper
One Remington Place
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
📞 405-419-4424 (Direct)
Horsemensbookkeeper@remingtonpark.com ... ’Expand’See Less
3 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
Horses for in the Oklahoma Trials MUST be hair tested by this Thursday 2/12. Schedule ASAP but no later than noon the day before (405) 881-5120 ... ’Expand’See Less
1 day ago
Comment on Facebook
When does the schooling races start for the Young horses
Trainer Workers Comp info.
CompSource is no longer the state agent in Oklahoma, and the new state agent is NCCI. Because of that change, CompSource is no longer required to cover high-risk employers, so some folks are getting denied at renewal.
NCCI website can look up agent info and see what their options are: www.ncci.com (We’ve talked to Jackson with Stavely Insurance in Sallisaw, and he has written policies for some trainers. His number is (918) 775-4344.)
Please note: it takes a couple of days to get the policy processed so please plan ahead and don’t wait until the day you need the certificate! ... ’Expand’See Less
4 days ago
Comment on Facebook
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