JESS MY HOCKS WINS LEO STAKES SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, UPSETTING REIGNING WORLD CHAMPION DANJER
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 1, 2022 – Jess My Hocks showed last year’s upset in the Grade 1 Leo Stakes was no fluke Saturday night as the big bull of a quarter horse did it again. He won the $117,280 race by upsetting the reigning American Quarter Horse Association World Champion, Danjer, in the process.
The winner broke fifth from the 8-post position in the starting gate, mostly because it takes a second or two for a 1,300-pounds-plus horse to get all that girth going. By the time Jess My Hocks gained his full, lengthy strides, it was just a matter of time before he caught them all at 400 yards.
The much anticipated matchup between him and Danjer never materialized this year as the World Champion thrashed in the gate right before the start and leaned back. When he did lean back, his flipping halter tied to the front of the gate, kept it from opening exactly with the rest of the gates for the others in the field. After an inquiry by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission stewards, it was determined Danjer caused his own issue and was indeed a starter in the Leo.
Last year, the two horses battled neck and neck to the wire in the Leo Stakes before Jess My Hocks, known as Bull in the barn, prevailed by a nose over Danjer. This year, the World Champion could do no better than eighth after trailing the field of 11 horses early.
Jess My Hocks won the Leo last year at 7-2 odds, but that apparently didn’t impress the players as he was sent off at 10-1 odds. He paid a whopping $23.40 to win, $6.80 to place and $4.40 to show. The final margin of victory this year was by a half-length over Instygator, the even-money favorite in the race. Apollitical Redflash (59-1) got up for third, a full length back of Instygator. Jess My Hocks’ half-brother Charlies Fury made it a fantastic night for the connections as he collected a fourth-place check.
Tom and Kathy McNally of Guthrie, Okla., own both Jess My Hocks and Charlies Fury. The half-brothers, out of the same broodmare Jess Charlena, received $71,676 for first and $7,168 for fourth. Michelle Hurdle trains both for the McNallys and couldn’t have been more excited. She ran onto the track as her horses returned after the race and gave jockey Mario Delgado a slapping high five for the win.
“I knew Charlie was going to leave good and then I caught “Bull” out of the corner of my eye coming,” she said. “There was really nothing for him early in the meet so I ran him in the SLM Big Daddy 550, which I didn’t really think was his lick. As it was, it turned out really well.”
It had been two years since Delgado rode Jess My Hocks. Agustin Silva, the regular rider for both multiple stakes winners, had the unenviable task of choosing between Jess My Hocks and Charlies Fury. The half-brothers had never faced each other in an official race. Silva stayed with Charlie for this one.
“Bull” is an awesome horse,” said Delgado. “I had a lot of confidence in him since we won together at the Challenge Derby Championships (at the Downs at Albuquerque) two years ago (on Oct. 24, 2020). I knew he would finish and he got it done.”
Kathy McNally said it was “a God thing” to see Bull and Charlie perform together the way they did and beat the World Champion.
The remaining order of finish in the Leo Stakes was Relentlessly (5th), BP Primetime (6th), Famous Chief (7th), Danjer (8th), Hooked On A Win (9th), Giant Courage (10th), Jettz (11th).
Jess My Hocks is a 5-year-old gelding by Kiss My Hocks, out of the Take Off Jess mare Jess Charlena. Charlies Fury is 6-years-old and also a gelding from the same dam (mother). His sire (father) is Furyofthewind. They were both bred in Oklahoma by their owners.
Jess My Hocks improved his career record to 19 starts, 10 wins and four thirds for a lifetime bankroll of $410,552. Running time for the winner was :19.420 on the fast track for a speed index of 99. He won this race last year in :19.824. It’s scary that he is getting better with each race.
The Leo this year proved to be one of the best races for older horses in history here with a World Champion, millionaires and some of the top runners in the country converging on Remington Park. It could get even better on May 28 when the cornerstone race for the older set, the Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship is run. Let the goose bumps begin.
The Leo Stakes is named in honor of one of Quarter Horse racing’s foundation sires. Leo, an AQHA Hall of Fame member, stood the bulk of his long stallion career in Perry, Okla., where a life-size statue commemorates him to this day. Leo was owned for the final decades of his life by Bud Warren.
Remington Park racing continues Sunday, May 1 with a 10-race Sunday card that begins at 4 p.m.
•••••
Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $288 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 will feature the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity and the $250,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship on May 28. Simulcast horse is racing featured daily at Remington Park where the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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🚨Attn Horsemen: The OQHRA Board of Directors Elections are coming up this Fall. Make sure you renew your OQHRA membership by September 1st in order to Vote ☑️!
Please help us congratulate Troy! He is such an important part of all of our success at Fair Meadows! Be sure to tell him Thank You when you see him! ... ’Expand’See Less
Congratulations Troy!!! Thank you for all you have done for all of us. A special thanks for a special longtime friendship that I truly treasure.😊
Troy is the absolute BEST!! Congratulations my friend!
Congratulations Troy !!
Congrats
He deserves it.
Troy’s Awesome, congratulations and thank you for always taking such care of us🏇🏻🏇🏻
Way to go Troy !!!!!
Looking good troy. I miss those days.
He is one of the best people you will ever meet in the race horse business
Congratulations Troy! One of the nicest people I ever had the privilege to work with.
Congratulations Troy. You always do a great job
My man Troy i can remember FMT in the beginning and Troy would always be the 1st one you saw either pulling in of a morning to work or at night to race, Troy always had the chaos organized in the haul in barn. Jim and Nina got the best one possible with Troy, one amazing man!
The Stephens family!
Jim,Barb and Kevin
Congratulations! Track would be lost with out you, you are awesome.
Congrats Troy!!!
You are the man, Troy
Congratulations
Congrats!!!
Never ran anything in OKLA., but CONGRATULATIONS TROY!!! Ppl like you are gold on ANY TRACK.
The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA) has confirmed the detection of Olodaterol through pre-entry hair testing protocols required for participation at Oklahoma racetracks. Olodaterol is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist, a class of bronchodilators that includes strictly prohibited substances such as clenbuterol, albuterol, and carmoterol.
Olodaterol is not an approved substance in racehorses, and its presence constitutes a violation of integrity standards. The positive findings were made as a condition of entry through OQHRA-managed hair testing, not by the regulatory body, and as such, horses testing positive were ruled ineligible for entry.
While reports of Olodaterol have surfaced in other states through hair samples, OQHRA is not currently aware of any confirmed positives in blood or urine samples. This reinforces the value of hair testing in identifying substances that may otherwise go undetected.
“This is a clear example of why hair testing matters,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “Whether used pre-entry to prevent horses from competing, or post-race for official adjudication, hair testing provides a longer detection window and a clearer picture of the medications and substances a horse has been exposed to.”
OQHRA will continue to support and expand the use of hair testing as part of its integrity and welfare program. In addition, the association will continue to advocate for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to adopt hair testing as a standard matrix within the state’s official biological testing program. This includes both post-race testing and out-of-competition testing.
“We strongly encourage the Commission to expand its use of hair testing,” said Bamberg. “It's a reliable, science-based tool that gives regulators the ability to detect long-term exposure to prohibited substances and strengthens our ability to ensure fairness and safety in the sport.”
OQHRA and our partner racetracks remain committed to identifying and deterring the use of new and emerging substances and protecting the integrity of racing in Oklahoma. ... ’Expand’See Less
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JESS MY HOCKS WINS LEO STAKES SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, UPSETTING REIGNING WORLD CHAMPION DANJER
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 1, 2022 – Jess My Hocks showed last year’s upset in the Grade 1 Leo Stakes was no fluke Saturday night as the big bull of a quarter horse did it again. He won the $117,280 race by upsetting the reigning American Quarter Horse Association World Champion, Danjer, in the process.
The winner broke fifth from the 8-post position in the starting gate, mostly because it takes a second or two for a 1,300-pounds-plus horse to get all that girth going. By the time Jess My Hocks gained his full, lengthy strides, it was just a matter of time before he caught them all at 400 yards.
The much anticipated matchup between him and Danjer never materialized this year as the World Champion thrashed in the gate right before the start and leaned back. When he did lean back, his flipping halter tied to the front of the gate, kept it from opening exactly with the rest of the gates for the others in the field. After an inquiry by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission stewards, it was determined Danjer caused his own issue and was indeed a starter in the Leo.
Last year, the two horses battled neck and neck to the wire in the Leo Stakes before Jess My Hocks, known as Bull in the barn, prevailed by a nose over Danjer. This year, the World Champion could do no better than eighth after trailing the field of 11 horses early.
Jess My Hocks won the Leo last year at 7-2 odds, but that apparently didn’t impress the players as he was sent off at 10-1 odds. He paid a whopping $23.40 to win, $6.80 to place and $4.40 to show. The final margin of victory this year was by a half-length over Instygator, the even-money favorite in the race. Apollitical Redflash (59-1) got up for third, a full length back of Instygator. Jess My Hocks’ half-brother Charlies Fury made it a fantastic night for the connections as he collected a fourth-place check.
Tom and Kathy McNally of Guthrie, Okla., own both Jess My Hocks and Charlies Fury. The half-brothers, out of the same broodmare Jess Charlena, received $71,676 for first and $7,168 for fourth. Michelle Hurdle trains both for the McNallys and couldn’t have been more excited. She ran onto the track as her horses returned after the race and gave jockey Mario Delgado a slapping high five for the win.
“I knew Charlie was going to leave good and then I caught “Bull” out of the corner of my eye coming,” she said. “There was really nothing for him early in the meet so I ran him in the SLM Big Daddy 550, which I didn’t really think was his lick. As it was, it turned out really well.”
It had been two years since Delgado rode Jess My Hocks. Agustin Silva, the regular rider for both multiple stakes winners, had the unenviable task of choosing between Jess My Hocks and Charlies Fury. The half-brothers had never faced each other in an official race. Silva stayed with Charlie for this one.
“Bull” is an awesome horse,” said Delgado. “I had a lot of confidence in him since we won together at the Challenge Derby Championships (at the Downs at Albuquerque) two years ago (on Oct. 24, 2020). I knew he would finish and he got it done.”
Kathy McNally said it was “a God thing” to see Bull and Charlie perform together the way they did and beat the World Champion.
The remaining order of finish in the Leo Stakes was Relentlessly (5th), BP Primetime (6th), Famous Chief (7th), Danjer (8th), Hooked On A Win (9th), Giant Courage (10th), Jettz (11th).
Jess My Hocks is a 5-year-old gelding by Kiss My Hocks, out of the Take Off Jess mare Jess Charlena. Charlies Fury is 6-years-old and also a gelding from the same dam (mother). His sire (father) is Furyofthewind. They were both bred in Oklahoma by their owners.
Jess My Hocks improved his career record to 19 starts, 10 wins and four thirds for a lifetime bankroll of $410,552. Running time for the winner was :19.420 on the fast track for a speed index of 99. He won this race last year in :19.824. It’s scary that he is getting better with each race.
The Leo this year proved to be one of the best races for older horses in history here with a World Champion, millionaires and some of the top runners in the country converging on Remington Park. It could get even better on May 28 when the cornerstone race for the older set, the Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship is run. Let the goose bumps begin.
The Leo Stakes is named in honor of one of Quarter Horse racing’s foundation sires. Leo, an AQHA Hall of Fame member, stood the bulk of his long stallion career in Perry, Okla., where a life-size statue commemorates him to this day. Leo was owned for the final decades of his life by Bud Warren.
Remington Park racing continues Sunday, May 1 with a 10-race Sunday card that begins at 4 p.m.
•••••
Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $288 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 will feature the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity and the $250,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship on May 28. Simulcast horse is racing featured daily at Remington Park where the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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🚨Attn Horsemen: The OQHRA Board of Directors Elections are coming up this Fall. Make sure you renew your OQHRA membership by September 1st in order to Vote ☑️!
Online OQHRA Membership form --> bit.ly/3E8BOFb ... ’Expand’See Less
3 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
Please help us congratulate Troy! He is such an important part of all of our success at Fair Meadows! Be sure to tell him Thank You when you see him! ... ’Expand’See Less
2 days ago
Comment on Facebook
Congratulations Troy!!! Thank you for all you have done for all of us. A special thanks for a special longtime friendship that I truly treasure.😊
Troy is the absolute BEST!! Congratulations my friend!
Congratulations Troy !!
Congrats
He deserves it.
Troy’s Awesome, congratulations and thank you for always taking such care of us🏇🏻🏇🏻
Way to go Troy !!!!!
Looking good troy. I miss those days.
He is one of the best people you will ever meet in the race horse business
Congratulations Troy! One of the nicest people I ever had the privilege to work with.
Congratulations Troy. You always do a great job
My man Troy i can remember FMT in the beginning and Troy would always be the 1st one you saw either pulling in of a morning to work or at night to race, Troy always had the chaos organized in the haul in barn. Jim and Nina got the best one possible with Troy, one amazing man! The Stephens family! Jim,Barb and Kevin
Congratulations! Track would be lost with out you, you are awesome.
Congrats Troy!!!
You are the man, Troy
Congratulations
Congrats!!!
Never ran anything in OKLA., but CONGRATULATIONS TROY!!! Ppl like you are gold on ANY TRACK.
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𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA) has confirmed the detection of Olodaterol through pre-entry hair testing protocols required for participation at Oklahoma racetracks. Olodaterol is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist, a class of bronchodilators that includes strictly prohibited substances such as clenbuterol, albuterol, and carmoterol.
Olodaterol is not an approved substance in racehorses, and its presence constitutes a violation of integrity standards. The positive findings were made as a condition of entry through OQHRA-managed hair testing, not by the regulatory body, and as such, horses testing positive were ruled ineligible for entry.
While reports of Olodaterol have surfaced in other states through hair samples, OQHRA is not currently aware of any confirmed positives in blood or urine samples. This reinforces the value of hair testing in identifying substances that may otherwise go undetected.
“This is a clear example of why hair testing matters,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “Whether used pre-entry to prevent horses from competing, or post-race for official adjudication, hair testing provides a longer detection window and a clearer picture of the medications and substances a horse has been exposed to.”
OQHRA will continue to support and expand the use of hair testing as part of its integrity and welfare program. In addition, the association will continue to advocate for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to adopt hair testing as a standard matrix within the state’s official biological testing program. This includes both post-race testing and out-of-competition testing.
“We strongly encourage the Commission to expand its use of hair testing,” said Bamberg. “It's a reliable, science-based tool that gives regulators the ability to detect long-term exposure to prohibited substances and strengthens our ability to ensure fairness and safety in the sport.”
OQHRA and our partner racetracks remain committed to identifying and deterring the use of new and emerging substances and protecting the integrity of racing in Oklahoma. ... ’Expand’See Less
3 days ago
Comment on Facebook
Why don’t you just require hair testing in test barn of top 2 finishers. Wouldn’t that be a more accurate chance to catch abuse?
You don’t find it in blood and urine because hair testing is highly variable and substances can last for years after it’s been administered.
Felipe Martinez this what you Ben saying all along
The Louisiana Racing Commission STILL does not recognize the hair testing we owners have been paying for the last few years!
Guess you missed the news from LA??
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