Page 220 - Speedhorse April 2019

Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1
DTL CHASIN TALE
by Danny Camp
DTL Chasin Tale defied the odds in the $162,028 Grade 1 Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity at Remington Park on
March 23.
The bay Paint gelding finished second by a
neck in his March 10 trial heat and came into the finals with the fourth fastest time under rider Cody Smith.
With Smith aboard once again, the gelding got away slowly in the finals, breaking seventh from the five-hole. But, around a hundred yards down the track, he still had a lane to run in as he moved into fourth place by the top of the stretch.
With grit and determination and a ground- eating stride, DTL Chasin Tale and Smith finished the contest a neck in front of their rivals, stopping the clock in :15.630 for an 83 speed index.
DTL Chasin Tale also earned the first place money, which was worth $62,880 of the $162,028 purse. The winner’s share boosted DTL Chasin Tale’s total earnings to $64,008 for owner DTL Teel Partnership and trainer Matt Whitekiller.
Dean and Tonya Lester bred DTL Chasin Tale out of stakes winner Shez Showin Off. The mare was a six-time race winner in her
day, winning the Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Futurity-G2, Yosemite Derby-G3 and Deelish Handicap. Shez Showin Off was named the 2006 APHA World Champion Running Paint Horse and Champion Running Three Year Old and Champion Three-Year- Old Filly.
Shez Showin Off has been
a star as a producer as well
with 100% winners from five starters. Her foals include 2010 APHA Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Eyem Showin Off and Shez Showin Ivory, who finished third in the 2014 Tulsa State Fair Stakes. DTL Chasin Tale is the first stakes winner in the brood.
“I’ve always liked this colt. I didn’t think he was the best out of this crop, but he stepped up big time,” stated trainer Matt Whitekiller when asked about DTL Chasin Tale. “When he got here, he was a bully to begin with, but now he’s real laid back. He’s a dream to gallop.
“He’s a professional in every aspect,” Whitekiller continued. “The weather was really bad, and we only got to gate this horse one
time. We usually include a schooling race, but we didn’t get to. He didn’t break good in the trials, but I think he made the lead at one point. After the trials, he dropped some weight, which was a good thing because he’s a big fat easy keeper.
“In the finals he didn’t really break that bad, but the others made him look bad because they broke so good.
After the first hundred yards, I saw him get on top of the ground and hit his stride and it was pretty to watch.”
When asked about his jockey the trainer added, “We have a good crew, Cody is like
a son to me. He’s a good athlete and a hard worker. He breaks all these colts and knows every quirk they have. He’s a tall kid, but he can fold up on a horse, sit quiet and let them run. He never hurts a horse.
“As far as the future, we are going to play it by ear. This colt was home raised and we will let the colt tell us when its time to run again. Maybe the stakes at the end of the meet,” Whitekiller concluded.
Remington Park $162,028 • 300 yards :15.630 • si 83
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Wagon Tales
Signs Zoomer
DTL CHASIN TALE, ‘17-g.
SF Royal Quick Flash
Shez Showin Off
Texas Showboat
218 SPEEDHORSE, April 2019
DTL Chasin Tale & Cody Smith finish strong to win the $162,028 Grade 1 Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity
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