DEAD HEAT LEAVES TWO WINNERS IN HERITAGE PLACE FUTURITY – APOLLIREVENGE and EFFORTLESS FAVORITE
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 31, 2025 —For the first time in the history of the Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park, two horses dead-heated for victory in the lucrative race. Saturday’s Grade 1 event, worth $1,161,010 for 2-year-olds went to Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite.
The two horses that could not be separated at the wire circled with jockeys, trainers and owners awaiting the decision of the photo-finish. The wait went on and on and on, with both Francisco Calderon and Francisco Ramirez, Jr., aboard Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite, respectively, fighting in their minds the possible outcomes. Finally after approximately 10 minutes of waiting, the flash came on the toteboard in giant, electric letters, “DEAD HEAT.”
Calderon was on the 11-horse, Apollirevenge, and the last thing he wanted was to be told the 2-horse, Effortless Favorite, had beaten him by a nose.
“I’ve run second (in the Heritage Place Futurity) three years in a row, with Firey Angel last year, Deep Blue the year before that and Take a Swig of This in 2022,” Calderon said, who got Apollirevenge into the dead heat for owner Dunn Ranch of Wynnewood, Okla., and trainer Marco Chavez-Gutierrez.
Neither camp was quite sure how the photo was going to turn out after 350 yards of all-out speed.
“Not putting the numbers up all that time; oh my, I couldn’t swallow,” said Calderon. “It would definitely killed me for sure if they had put me up second. No, I’m just thankful to my Lord and Jesus Christ for getting me the win tonight.”
Ramirez said his stomach was doing flip-flops as he awaited the outcome.
“I was trying to stay positive,” he said. “I knew we were out there in front. I was just hoping my horse had the longest nose at wire. He’s always been an easy horse to get along with. Just a Cadillac. I didn’t doubt one bit that he could be this good.”
Both Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite stopped the timer in :17.497 like a pair of conjoined horses. It couldn’t have been any closer.
Only a neck back of the dead-heat winners was the post-time 8-5 favorite, Jess A Good Angel, ridden by Juan Pulido, the leading rider this season at Remington Park. Pulido had been hurt early in the card at the gate for the Boyd Morris Memorial, and there was some doubt whether he would finish the card. He could visibly be seen limping on one leg and shaking that leg in the paddock in subsequent races. Pulido toughed it out, however, and almost won the Heritage Place Futurity, finishing that neck behind in a three-horse photo finish.
Apollirevenge was sent off at 4-1 odds and paid $5.40 to win, $5.80 to place and $3.60 to show. Effortless Effort was 8-1 and returned $9 to win, $9.20 to place and $5 to show.
The rest of the order of finish past the top three was DR Americas Dynasty (7-1) in fourth, Cyber Command III (6-1) fifth, Flying Policy 123 (12-1) sixth, Hawkeye Vision (7-1) seventh, Jess Flash the Cash (31-1) eighth and Coronados 123 (11-1) ninth. Two horses scratched from the race – Jay W and Calling Chicks – the two fastest qualifiers from each night of trials earlier in May.
Calderon said Apollirevenge’s attitude at the beginning of the race may have caused her to be dead-heated.
“She was being a little mean in the gate; she kind of stepped back when they popped it, which cost her a little bit,” he said. She really bore down at the wire and I asked her for everything she had.”
Calderon had his choice between Apollirevenge and DR Americas Dynasty and selected Apollirevenge even though her time was slower in the trials than that of her stablemate.
“You know, I worked them both at the farm and it just felt like Apollirevenge was finishing better after 150 to 200 yards,” Calderon said. “I’m glad I was right, and my agent. It was a team effort.”
Owner Matt Dunn said he has big plans for this filly by A Revenant, out of the Apollitical Jess mare Apollititaka. Apollirevenge was bred in California by Rancho El Cabresto
“She goes to the mountain (Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico),” Dunn said. “She will run in the Rainbow (Futurity) and then the All American and then we will ship her to California if everything goes well.”
The other winning jockey, Ramirez, was going through the same flood of emotions watching the super screen that eventually flashed the decision.
“A bunch of stuff was going through my head,” he said. “I was just hoping we dead-heated after a while. It was a big night. I was lucky enough to win this race in 2016 aboard Duponte. Thank God I could do it again.”
Each set of owners earned $342,498 apiece. The owners of Effortless Favorite – Tom and Bill Maher and Dick Tobin of Pierre, S.D. – were happy with the outcome.
“Jason Olmstead, who trains for us, he picks this horse out (of the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale last fall for $67,000),” said Bill Maher. “He comes over to Dick and us and says, ‘Hey, you got any money?’ I said, ‘A little,’ but then referred him to brother Tom, who has more than (me) the rancher-farmer.”
Effortless Favorite is an Oklahoma-bred by Wallace Johnson. He is by Favorite Cartel from the Corona Cartel mare Swingin Cartel.
Apollirevenge was purchased for $48,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale last year.
Apollirevenge improved her record to three wins in three starts for a bankroll of $363,663. Effortless Favorite is now also three-for-three and has a bankroll of $363,138.
This was the first time in the history of the Heritage Place Futurity since it began in 1990 that two horses dead-heated for the win.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $380 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. 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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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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DEAD HEAT LEAVES TWO WINNERS IN HERITAGE PLACE FUTURITY – APOLLIREVENGE and EFFORTLESS FAVORITE
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 31, 2025 — For the first time in the history of the Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park, two horses dead-heated for victory in the lucrative race. Saturday’s Grade 1 event, worth $1,161,010 for 2-year-olds went to Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite.
The two horses that could not be separated at the wire circled with jockeys, trainers and owners awaiting the decision of the photo-finish. The wait went on and on and on, with both Francisco Calderon and Francisco Ramirez, Jr., aboard Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite, respectively, fighting in their minds the possible outcomes. Finally after approximately 10 minutes of waiting, the flash came on the toteboard in giant, electric letters, “DEAD HEAT.”
Neither camp was quite sure how the photo was going to turn out after 350 yards of all-out speed.
Ramirez said his stomach was doing flip-flops as he awaited the outcome.
Both Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite stopped the timer in :17.497 like a pair of conjoined horses. It couldn’t have been any closer.
Only a neck back of the dead-heat winners was the post-time 8-5 favorite, Jess A Good Angel, ridden by Juan Pulido, the leading rider this season at Remington Park. Pulido had been hurt early in the card at the gate for the Boyd Morris Memorial, and there was some doubt whether he would finish the card. He could visibly be seen limping on one leg and shaking that leg in the paddock in subsequent races. Pulido toughed it out, however, and almost won the Heritage Place Futurity, finishing that neck behind in a three-horse photo finish.
Apollirevenge was sent off at 4-1 odds and paid $5.40 to win, $5.80 to place and $3.60 to show. Effortless Effort was 8-1 and returned $9 to win, $9.20 to place and $5 to show.
The rest of the order of finish past the top three was DR Americas Dynasty (7-1) in fourth, Cyber Command III (6-1) fifth, Flying Policy 123 (12-1) sixth, Hawkeye Vision (7-1) seventh, Jess Flash the Cash (31-1) eighth and Coronados 123 (11-1) ninth. Two horses scratched from the race – Jay W and Calling Chicks – the two fastest qualifiers from each night of trials earlier in May.
Calderon said Apollirevenge’s attitude at the beginning of the race may have caused her to be dead-heated.
Calderon had his choice between Apollirevenge and DR Americas Dynasty and selected Apollirevenge even though her time was slower in the trials than that of her stablemate.
The other winning jockey, Ramirez, was going through the same flood of emotions watching the super screen that eventually flashed the decision.
Each set of owners earned $342,498 apiece. The owners of Effortless Favorite – Tom and Bill Maher and Dick Tobin of Pierre, S.D. – were happy with the outcome.
Apollirevenge was purchased for $48,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale last year.
Apollirevenge improved her record to three wins in three starts for a bankroll of $363,663. Effortless Favorite is now also three-for-three and has a bankroll of $363,138.
This was the first time in the history of the Heritage Place Futurity since it began in 1990 that two horses dead-heated for the win.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $380 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. 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)*
Post time 6:00PM ... ’Expand’See Less
12 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
19 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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