📸: Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 12, 2023 – MFS Cheerio smoked his competition like they were standing still on Friday night to qualify as the fastest on Day One of the trials for the Grade 1 $1,207,640 Heritage Place Futurity. The main event final is scheduled for the closing day of the Remington Park season, June 3.
The 2-year-old Quarter Horse gelding by KVN Corona, out of the Apollitical Jess mare DF Apollitical Sign, stopped the timer in the 11th race at 350 yards in :17.604 seconds, earning a speed index of 91 on the fast track.
The breeding on this gelding is eye-popping. MFS Cheerio’s sire won the first nine races of his career, including a Grade 2 futurity and a Grade 3 derby, both at Los Alamitos in California. KVN Corona ended his career with 10 wins from 13 starts and $868,077 earned. On the bottom side of the pedigree, his maternal grandsire, Apollitical Jess, ran out $1,399,831 in earnings, winning 8-of-14 starts, including the Grade 1 Champion of Champions at Los Al. As a sire, Apollitical Jess has sired 10 Champions, 55 graded stakes winners and 62 stakes winners. Among his winners were three All American Futurity champions – KJ Desperado, Apocalyptical Jess and Mr Jess Jenkins. Most recently, one of his progeny, Empressum, was named World Champion of 2022.
MFS Cheerio’s connections – owners R&H Bros and Anastacio Cavazos, Jr. of Mission, Texas, trainer Eddie Willis and jockey Justine Klaiber – can only hope his ability comes close to his bloodlines. He sure looked the part on Friday, breaking from the gate like an onrushing bullet train and widening his margin to the wire. It was a far cry from his first start when MFS Cheerio never found his stride in running sixth, beaten three lengths in the 330-yard Remington Park Futurity trials.
MFS Cheerio looked like a new horse from first race to second for 12-time Remington Park training title holder, Willis. He drew off to win his trial by 2-3/4 lengths over his competition. The winner was bred in Oklahoma by Jovetta Meredith.
This gelding had the red-hot combo of trainer Jason Olmstead and jockey Edwin Escobedo breathing down his necks after the trials, however. That combo won two races on the night and qualified the second- and third-fastest horses for the finals. Escobedo’s two wins put him into a tie atop the jockey standings with Roman Cruz (also two wins Friday), as each has 28 victories on the season. James Flores is one win behind the top duo with 27 wins.
The second round of Heritage Place Futurity trials have been reset for Monday afternoon here with a first post time of 12:30 p.m. They were postponed from Thursday night to avoid possible severe weather disrupting the trials.,
Here are the five fastest horses (with their times, speed index, jockey, trainer, trial number) from Friday night that qualified for the finals of the Grade 1, $1,207,640 Heritage Place Futurity scheduled for Saturday, June 3; another five from Monday’s rescheduled trials will join them:
- MFS Cheerio, :17.604, 91, Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis, trial 11
Heritage Place Sale Graduate Cardiac Cowboy, :17.628, 90, Edwin Escobedo, Jason Olmstead, trial four- Heritage Place Sale Graduate Sheza Famous Candy, :17.722, 88, Edwin Escobedo, Jason Olmstead, trial 12
- Heritage Place Sale Graduate AB Seis Corazones, :17.734, 87, Bryan Candanosa, Monty Arrossa, trial six
- Deep Blue, :17.748, 87, Francisco Calderon, John Stinebaugh, trial three
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Tracked by more than 175,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $320 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 features the 2023 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season through June 3. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.