Page 44 - 8 June 2012

Junos Request Stakes-G2
THISFEATUREISSPECIAL
by Stacy Pigott
Trainer Paul Jones is well-known for his pow- erful stable of runners at Los Alamitos in California, but the AQHA Champion trainer also runs equally strong barns in New Mexico and Oklahoma. His Oklahoma contingent made headlines on May 26, sending out Thisfeatureisspecial to win the $50,000 Junos Request Stakes-G2 at Remington Park.
Thisfeatureisspecial was a mainstay of Jones’ California barn last
year, where she was third
in the Los Alamitos Distaff Challenge-G3 and a final-
ist in the Mildred Vessels Handicap-G1 and the Las Damas Handicap-G3 for Brazilian owner Mauro Zaborowsky. This year, Jones sent the 5-year-old mare east, where she won an allow- ance on April 29 in her most recent start prior to this race.
Ridden by Cody Jensen
in the Junos Request, Thisfeatureisspecial went wire to wire to win her first stakes race. Holding off a late challenge from 6-5 favorite Fredaville, Thisfeatureisspecial covered the 400 yards in :19.733 while winning by a half- length. This was her fifth win from 19 starts, and the first-place check of $30,000 boosted her career earnings to $78,582.
Bred in Louisiana by J.E., D.C. and C.T. Jumonville,
Thisfeatureisspecial is sired by Feature Mr Jess and out of This Girl Is Special. She is the sixth winner from seven starters for her dam, and the first stakes winner. This Girl Is Special is a half-sister to Champion Jess Louisiana Blue and stakes winners Louisiana Eye Opener, Fed Ex Together, Call Me Fed Ex and Jessthelouisianagirl. Thisfeatureisspecial’s third
dam is Champion Little Blue Sheep.
Robert Gentry’s 6-year-old mare Fredaville
(Mr Jess Perry-Fearless Freda) was second with G.R. Carter Jr. in the saddle for trainer Clinton Crawford. Fredaville won the Remington Distaff Challenge in her last start.
The Dashing Attitude (Streak And Dash- Miss Desert Chrome) was third with Jimmy Brooks in the saddle for trainer Eddie D. Willis. Alona James owns the 5-year-old mare.
Rounding out the field were Found A Candy Tree (Oak Tree Special-Eye On The Candy), Chics Delight (Chicks Doit-Easy Hempen Chic), Kool Angel (First N Kool-Angels Best Effort), Kinky Boots (Agouti-Pure Oklahoma), and Shaky Sister (Embrujo FG-Shaky Kate).
The Junos Request is named after the 1992 AQHA Champion Aged Mare, who won many races at Remington Park.

Mr Jess Perry
Feature Mr Jess
Brenda Feature
THISFEATUREISSPECIAL, ’07-m.
Special Effort
This Girl Is Special
The Louisiana Girl
RACING NEWS
Remington Park Distance Handicap-G3
DE PASSEM OKEY
by Tracy Gantz
They tried to go with him early, and they tried to catch him in the stretch. But no matter what tactics his opponents used, two- time distance champion De Passem Okey foiled them all to win yet again in the May 28 Remington Park Distance Handicap-G3.
Jockey G.R. Carter Jr. and De Passem Okey outbroke the field and went right to the front. DM Shaman and Apollo Rocks hustled up on their outside,
and Apollo Rocks may
have headed the champ
between calls on the turn.
Nevertheless, De Passem
Okey held him at bay. In the
stretch, SCJ Arabella Maria
took her shot, trying to get
through on the rail. De
Passem Okey looked her in
the eye and won by a head in
a time of :45.056.
The hot weather at Remington caused De
Passem Okey to wash out a little, said Carter, who added, “but he’s got the heart
of a champion.” Carter and De Passem
Okey were a perfect four for four together
at the 2012 Remington meet, having earlier won an allowance race followed by the Paul’s Valley Handicap-G3 and then the Red Cell Remington Distance Challenge-G3.
The 6-year-old gelding, trained by Rodney Reed, has now won 10 stakes
and has lifetime earnings
of $397,529. He’s been a great investment for owner Steve Holt, who claimed De Passem Okey for $7,500 at Remington in 2010.
Eddie L. Moore, DVM, bred De Passem Okey in Oklahoma out of the Thoroughbred mare Impassable Gal. The mare won four races and earned $44,555, and she is out of
stakes-placed Luscious Linfa, a half-sister to two stakes winners.
Ann Wiley’s homebred SCJ Arabella Maria (Spit Curl Jess-Donnatella Maria-TB) finished second for jockey Bryan Ernst. Trainer Juan Gomez claimed foul against the winner, but
it was not allowed. SCJ Arabella Maria’s most recent victory came in an allowance race.
David Pinon piloted Apollo Rocks (Apollo- TB-Aamerican Baby) to third for owner Bob Knight and trainer Sam Howard. Seventh in De Passem Okey’s Paul’s Valley, Apollo Rocks then captured an allowance race prior to the Distance Handicap.
Completing the field were DM Shaman (Shazoom-DM Maybe), Street Meter (City Street-TB-Meters Off), Snow Kan (Royal Evening Snow-Kita Kan), and Corona Princess (Coronas Prospect-Princess Savannah-TB).

First Down Dash
Okey Dokey Dale
Okeydokey Baby
De Passem Okey, ’06-g.
Sir Richard Lewis
Impassable Gal-TB
Luscious Linfa
42 SPEEDHORSE, June 8, 2012
Dustin Orona Photography Linda Earley