$1,170,000 2015 Heritage Place Futurity [G1] Winner BV MIDNITE EXPRESS
Oklahoma City, Ok – May 30, 2015 – The richest race in the state, on the richest night of racing ever at Remington Park, was won fairly easily by BV Midnight Express. The 2-year-old gelding flew from the starting gate to take early control, going on to win the Grade 1, $1,170,000 Heritage Place Futurity by a half-length.
Owned and bred in Oklahoma by Bella Vista Farms, BV Midnight Express is trained by Eddie Lee Willis and was ridden confidently by Russel Hadley. The horse qualified in April for the Remington Park Futurity but finished sixth after a disappointing start. There was no such sorrow in this final as he was sharp from the outset.
“I’ve been waiting for that start ever since we came to Remington with that horse,” Hadley said from the winner’s circle. “He’s something special. That’s when good horses come to the top when the money’s on the line. I knew there were some good horses that could come to run me down but about 100 yards before the wire I knew I had it.”
Willis echoed the sentiment of Hadley once the field was dispatched in the 350-yard event. “When he left there, I knew they weren’t going to catch him, plain and simple.”
BV Midnight Express finished a half-length in front of A Tres Of Paint. Remington Park Futurity winner Regard With Respect was another half-length behind in third as the beaten 4-5 betting favorite. No winner of the Remington Park Futurity has ever gone on to win the Heritage Place Futurity.
Away at 7-1 odds, BV Midnight Express paid $16.20 to win, $8 to place and $4 to show. A Tres Of Paint returned $10.60 to place and $4.40 to show. Regard With Respect paid $2.80 to show.
The Heritage Place Futurity is the third career win from four attempts for BV Midnight Express, a son of Freighttrain B from the Tres Seis mare Ms Tres Seis. He pulled in the biggest paycheck of $491,400 for the triumph, pushing his overall earnings to $550,372.
Bella Vista Farms won their first Heritage Place Futurity after running second in the race a year ago with BV Travelin Soldier. The win with BV Midnight Express was also the first for Willis in the race. Hadley scored his second career Heritage Place Futurity, adding to his 2006 win aboard First Carolina.
ALL photos by Dustin Orona| Horse | Sex | Time | Owner | Breeder | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shaken Pappasito | f. | 17.579 | James Sills and Abel Flores | James Sills & Abel Flores (OK) | Eddie D Willis | Jose Vega |
Bv Midnite Express | g. | 17.466 | Bella Vista Farms LLC | Bella Vista Farms LLC (OK) | Eddie Lee Willis | Russel Hadley |
Southern Lulu | f. | 17.555 | El Cabresto Racing Stables LLC | Sam W Green (OK) | Valentin Arellanes | Paul H Nieto |
A Tres Of Paint | f. | 17.525 | Sara Leann Morgan | The Mixer Ranch (OK) | Charles Duke Shults | Jesus Salazar |
| Volcoms Dash *Heritage Place Graduate 2014 Yearling Sale  | g. | 17.856 | Adan Arredondo and Mayra Sanchez | P K Thomas (TX) | Manuel Almanza | Ricky Ramirez |
King Brett | g. | 17.833 | Tony Doughtie | Tony Doughtie (TX) | Luis Villafranco | Mario Delgado |
Tee Chic | g. | 17.614 | Francisco J. Garza | Francisco Javier Garza (TX) | RL Rick Robinson | Francisco Calderon |
Regard With Respect  | g. | 17.323 | Nancy Powell | Darrell G &/Or Nancy A Powell (OK) | Guillermo Valdivia | Larry D Payne |
Prized Wagon | c. | 17.862 | Gene Cox | Robert or Karen Nunnally (TX) | Donnie Lee Strickland | Joe Badilla, Jr |
| Corona Surfer *Heritage Place Graduate 2014 Yearling Sale  | c. | 17.785 | Bobby Simmons | McColee Land & Livestock (UT) | C Dwayne Gilbreath | G R Carter, Jr |
| Horse | Sex | Time | Owner | Breeder | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D1) My Corona Sweetheart | g. | 17.599 | Donald W. Jackson | Charles R Leggett (OK) | Doug Carr | Cody R Smith |
| D1) Corona Cabana | c. | 17.648 | Reliance Ranches LLC | Reliance Ranches LLC (OK) | Eddie Lee Willis | Jimmy D Brooks |
| D1) Hearts Ona Hero *Heritage Place Graduate 2014 Yearling Sale | g. | 17.673 | J.J. Racing | Homer A Hill (OK) | RL Rick Robinson | Francisco Calderon |
| D1) Kokko Wagon *Heritage Place Graduate 2014 Winter Mixed Sale | f. | 17.677 | Leann J. Burns | Michael A Pohl (OK) | Stacy Charette-Hill | Jorge Torres |
| D1) Bp Tres Seis Policy | f. | 17.713 | Bill Price | Bill Price (OK) | Rodney Reed | G R Carter, Jr |
| D2) Eos Tres Bendiciones | g. | 17.909 | Elite Oilfield Services | Blessed River LTD (TX) | Wendy Garcia | Modesto Pina |
| D2) Shaky Hero | g. | 17.922 | J K Running Horses LLC | J K Running Horses LLC (OK) | Kenny Laymon | Cesar Gomez |
| D2) Hyo Inseperable | g. | 17.928 | Michelle Crockett and Terry Irby | Glynda J Crockett (TX) | Xavier Alonzo | Larry D Payne |
| D2) Bv Wagon Wheel | g. | 17.941 | Bella Vista Farms LLC | Bella Vista Farms LLC (OK) | Eddie Lee Willis | Russel Hadley |
| D2) Venetian Paradise | f. | 17.956 | Ed Melzer | MacKie Racing LLC (CA) | Eddie Lee Willis | Jose Vega |