TRAINER MICHELLE HURDLE SENDS TOP QUALIFIER IVORY TURBO TO $232,586 OKLAHOMA DERBY, FINALS SET FOR MARCH 21
OKLAHOMA CITY – March 8, 2020 – Trainer Michelle Hurdle continued her dominance in trials for 3-year-old American Quarter Horses, qualifying the fastest – Ivory Turbo – in the trials Sunday for the Grade 3, $232,586 Oklahoma Derby which is set for Saturday, March 21.
Last year, Hurdle qualified the fastest 3-year-old Quarter Horse, Charlies Fury, for the Grade 2, $367,750 Heritage Place Derby on closing day. Now, on the opening weekend of the 2020 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa race meeting, she has the fastest of 57 horses that competed in the trials for the initial derby of the season.
A 3-year-old gelded son of Ivory James, out of the Rare Form mare MT Turbo, covered the 350 yards in a time of :17.827 seconds over a fast track, producing a speed index of 81. He is owned and was bred in Oklahoma by Tom and Kathleen McNally of Guthrie, Okla. Ivory Turbo was ridden to victory by Agustin Silva. He won by a neck from post-position 10 in the fourth trial of the day, beating 8-5 wagering favorite Love Is Everything V. Ivory Turbo went off at 3-1 odds and paid $8.80 to win, $3.80 to place and $3 to show.
Ivory Turbo improves his lifetime record to six starts with three wins and $28,646 in earnings. He pocketed $5,730 for the victory Sunday. All Oklahoma Derby trials carried a purse of $10,000.
Last year’s leading owner at Remington Park, James Sills of Cedar Hill, Texas, a two-time Champion Owner here, qualified two of the top four into the finals. He combined with last year’s leading trainer Eddie Willis, a 10-time leading trainer at Remington Park, to get Love Is Everything V in with the second fastest time, and Ritas Back On Track, the fourth fastest. Jimmy Brooks rode both horses in the trials.
The top 10 qualified for the Oklahoma Derby. Here is the field with jockey, trainer, owner, finishing time and speed index:
1) Ivory Turbo; jockey Agustin Silva; trainer Michelle Hurdle; owner Tom and Kathleen McNally, Guthrie, Okla.; :17.827, speed index of 81.
2) Love is Everything V; Jimmy Brooks; Eddie Willis; James Sills, Cedar Hill, Texas; :17.870, and 80.
3) Gonnawannakissthis; Daniel Torres; Jonathan Chavira; Pedro Valdez, Hendersonville, Tenn.; :17.934, and 78.
4) Ritas Back On Track; Brooks; Willis; Sills, :17.951, and 78.
5) Fantsy First Down; James Flores; Manuel Rodriguez; MRB Racing LLC, North Las Vegas, Nev.; :18.012, and 76.
6) Sir Runaway Eye; Mario Delgado; Josue Ponce; Jose Guzman, Dallas, Texas; :18.033, and 75.
The six Oklahoma Derby trials were conducted under overcast skies with temperatures in the high 50s and southerly headwinds ranging from 21-23mph.
Remington Park now moves into a regular Thursday through Sunday weekly schedule for the remainder of the season. The first race March 12-14 is at 6pm with Sunday racing March 15 at 1:30pm. The Grade 3, $50,000 SLM Big Daddy Stakes, for 3-year-olds and older at 550 yards, will be featured on Saturday night.
••••••
Remington Park is always open for casino gaming. Simulcast horse racing is offered daily. Admission, parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park. Guests must be 18 or older in order to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino.
Tracked by more than 162,000 fans on Facebook and more than 10,100 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $242 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 the Grade 2 Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 21. The 2020 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues through May 30. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.
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.
Photo: Calling Chicks (1) wins the fifth trial of the evening on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Remington Park to post the top 350-yard qualifying time on the first night of trials for the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity. The final will be held on May 31. 📸: Dustin Orona Photography... ’Expand’See Less
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TRAINER MICHELLE HURDLE SENDS TOP QUALIFIER IVORY TURBO TO $232,586 OKLAHOMA DERBY, FINALS SET FOR MARCH 21
OKLAHOMA CITY – March 8, 2020 – Trainer Michelle Hurdle continued her dominance in trials for 3-year-old American Quarter Horses, qualifying the fastest – Ivory Turbo – in the trials Sunday for the Grade 3, $232,586 Oklahoma Derby which is set for Saturday, March 21.
Last year, Hurdle qualified the fastest 3-year-old Quarter Horse, Charlies Fury, for the Grade 2, $367,750 Heritage Place Derby on closing day. Now, on the opening weekend of the 2020 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa race meeting, she has the fastest of 57 horses that competed in the trials for the initial derby of the season.
A 3-year-old gelded son of Ivory James, out of the Rare Form mare MT Turbo, covered the 350 yards in a time of :17.827 seconds over a fast track, producing a speed index of 81. He is owned and was bred in Oklahoma by Tom and Kathleen McNally of Guthrie, Okla. Ivory Turbo was ridden to victory by Agustin Silva. He won by a neck from post-position 10 in the fourth trial of the day, beating 8-5 wagering favorite Love Is Everything V. Ivory Turbo went off at 3-1 odds and paid $8.80 to win, $3.80 to place and $3 to show.
Ivory Turbo improves his lifetime record to six starts with three wins and $28,646 in earnings. He pocketed $5,730 for the victory Sunday. All Oklahoma Derby trials carried a purse of $10,000.
Last year’s leading owner at Remington Park, James Sills of Cedar Hill, Texas, a two-time Champion Owner here, qualified two of the top four into the finals. He combined with last year’s leading trainer Eddie Willis, a 10-time leading trainer at Remington Park, to get Love Is Everything V in with the second fastest time, and Ritas Back On Track, the fourth fastest. Jimmy Brooks rode both horses in the trials.
The six Oklahoma Derby trials were conducted under overcast skies with temperatures in the high 50s and southerly headwinds ranging from 21-23mph.
Remington Park now moves into a regular Thursday through Sunday weekly schedule for the remainder of the season. The first race March 12-14 is at 6pm with Sunday racing March 15 at 1:30pm. The Grade 3, $50,000 SLM Big Daddy Stakes, for 3-year-olds and older at 550 yards, will be featured on Saturday night.
••••••
Remington Park is always open for casino gaming. Simulcast horse racing is offered daily. Admission, parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park. Guests must be 18 or older in order to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino.
Tracked by more than 162,000 fans on Facebook and more than 10,100 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $242 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 the Grade 2 Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 21. The 2020 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues through May 30. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.
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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):
• 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.
Photo: Calling Chicks (1) wins the fifth trial of the evening on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Remington Park to post the top 350-yard qualifying time on the first night of trials for the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity. The final will be held on May 31. 📸: Dustin Orona Photography ... ’Expand’See Less
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