📸: Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 15, 2023 – Trainer Waylan Melton entered three horses in the Heritage Place Futurity trials on Monday at Remington Park and qualified all three among the five fastest times of the day for the richest race of the meet. The Grade 1, $1,207,640 Heritage Place Futurity is set for June 3, as the spring season ends.
The Monday trials were conducted after being postponed from Thursday, May 11 to avoid possible interruption from severe weather.
Flyn Electric Cowboy held the fastest time of the day at :17.384 seconds since the seventh race of 12, but in the final race of the day, his stablemate, San Lencho, showed his lightning-fast hooves were much the best as he posted a :17.331, giving Melton the first, second and fifth fastest horses of the day, all winners of their trials. His fifth fastest horse, PYV Legacy had previously won the $533,000 Oklahoma Futurity on March 25 at Remington Park.
San Lencho, a 2-year-old colt by Apollitical Jess, out of the Heza Fast Dash mare Dashnunder Afullmoon, improved to two-for-two in his career, having won in a maiden race here on March 24. Jockey Juan Pulido qualified all three horses for Melton and will have an interesting choice to make for the futurity final.
San Lencho is owned by Rogelio Marquez, Jr., of Rosenberg, Texas. His fastest qualifier earned a 99-speed index for the victory. The winner now has earnings of $19,647, with a richer prize in sight. He is a homebred by the owner.
Flyn Electric Cowboy, the second-fastest qualifier, is one-for-two lifetime with $9,099 earned.
PYC Legacy, the Oklahoma Futurity winner and fifth-fastest qualifier Monday, is three-for-three lifetime with earnings of $227,768. This 2-year-old gelding by PYC Fun N Fancy, out of the Tailgunner Tom mare Issys Legacy, was bred in Oklahoma by Jonathan Chavira. He is owned by Rito Sosa of Blanchard, Okla.
San Lencho won by 1-3/4 lengths, Flyn Electric Cowboy by 1-3/4 lengths and PYC Legacy by a half-length. The wins Monday kept Melton as the highest winning percentage trainer of any with 20 or more starts at 33 percent, winning with 18 of 53 starters this meet.
Flyn Electric Cowboy may have had the biggest turnaround in Heritage Place Futurity trial history, going from a four-length loss in a maiden race, finishing eighth of 10 horses, to a 1-3/4 lengths victory as the second-fastest qualifier. His poor maiden effort came on April 13 at 250 yards, when he had a trouble line explaining that he raced green with his head high. In his Monday trial, his head was down, he broke sharply from the gate under Pulido and acted like a pro in the easy win.
Flyn Electric Cowboy is owned by Josefina Guzman of Dallas, Texas, and was bred in Texas by Paragon Farms. He was purchased for $67,000 at the 2022 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Flyn Electric Cowboy earned $315 for finishing eighth in the maiden try and the $8,784 for winning this trial.
The top five fastest horses from Monday’s trials for the Grade 1, $1,207,640 Heritage Place Futurity will join the five that qualified on Friday night. Monday’s trials began on a track listed as good. Here are today’s qualifiers for the richest race of the meet, part of Champions Night on Saturday, June 3, with times, speed indexes, jockey, trainer and trial number:
- San Lencho, :17.331, 99, Juan Pulido, Waylan Melton, trial 12
- Flyn Electric Cowboy, :17.384, 97, Juan Pulido, Waylon Melton, trial seven
- Midnight Politics, :17.459, 95, Edwin Escobedo, Jason Olmstead, trial 10
- BP Cartel Policy, :17.488, 94, James Flores, Dee Keener, trial nine
- PYC Legacy, :17.498, 94, Juan Pulido, Waylan Melton, trial four
Here are the five qualifiers from Friday night, May 12:
- MFS Cheerio, :17.604, 91, Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis, trial 11
- 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
* Heritage Place Sale Graduate - Deep Blue, :17.748, 87, Francisco Calderon, John Stinebaugh, trial three
••••••
Live racing continues Thursday through Sunday, May 18-21. Racing begins Thursday and Friday at 6pm. Saturday racing starts at Noon, followed by the simulcast of the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. Sunday racing is underway at 4pm. All times are Central.