Page 160 - August 2017

Rainbow Futurity-G1
EAGLE JAZZ
by Tracy Gantz
Ten years ago, Juan Medina of Zapata, Texas, made perhaps the best $13,000 investment of his life. That was what he paid for the year- ling filly Baja Jazz, now the dam of Rainbow Futurity-G1 winner Eagle Jazz, who earned $420,000 with that victory.
More than money though, Eagle Jazz,
by virtue of also capturing the Ruidoso Futurity-G1 in a dead heat with Uptown Dynasty, becomes eligible to take the All American Triple Crown. The third leg is the All American Futurity-G1.
“This is unbelievable,” said Medina. “I’d never thought we’d have something like this. It was just a dream.”
Eagle Jazz went into the July 23 Rainbow final as the odds-on favorite by virtue of his Ruidoso Futurity-G1 victory and having qualified the fastest over two days of trials. Rodrigo Vallejo, who has been aboard in all of the gelding’s starts at Ruidoso, rode him again.
When the gate opened, Eagle Jazz powered out of post eight in second place. It didn’t take long for him to grab the lead, and while
a couple of others tried to make a race out of it, he won by an easy 3/4-length in :19.829 for 400 yards.
“He did what I expected because he’s been a real, real good horse,” said Medina,
who nevertheless still can’t believe he owns and bred one this good. “Since he was a baby I’ve called him The Monster because he’s big. He’s like a body-builder. You wouldn’t even think he would run so fast at the start because of how big he is. But he’s quick.”
Oddly enough, Baja Jazz
was a small yearling, perhaps
one of the reasons Medina
was able to get her for $13,000 at the 2007 Heritage Place Yearling Sale.
“She was just one of those who caught
my eye,” Medina said. “I knew she was going to develop, and she had real good confor- mation. I liked her bloodlines, too. I paid $50,000 and $48,000 for others, and the one I bought for $13,000 is the one I’ve made more money with.”
Lazy E Ranch LLC consigned Baja Jazz to Heritage Place for her breeders, Brad
and Ann Tate. Racing for Medina, she won the 2008 Longhorn Futurity-G1 at Manor Downs and earned $156,763 on the track. Baja Jazz also finished second in the 2008 Retama Park Futurity-G1 and was a finalist
in the 2009 Heritage Place Derby-G2.
Medina says that
he breeds his horses in Oklahoma to take advantage of the incentive programs and purses for Oklahoma- breds. He brings the horses back to Texas after they have been weaned.
Baja Jazz has produced three winners from five starters, including the filly
Teller Baja. For Medina, Teller Baja won the 2016 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity-RG2.
“We had bad luck with Teller Baja in the Rainbow Derby Saturday (the day before the Rainbow Futurity),” said Medina. “It was not her day. She false-started and she came in last. But she’ll be back.”
Judd Kearl trains Teller Baja and Eagle Jazz for Medina, along with a third foal out of Baja Jazz, a 2-year-old named One Jazz, who has already won two races from three starts.
Eagle Jazz is nearly undefeated. At Remington Park he won two races and missed taking the Remington Park Oklahoma-
Bred Futurity by just a head. At Ruidoso he
Ruidoso Downs $1,000,000 • 400 yards :19.829 • si 90
One Famous Eagle
One Dashing Eagle
One Sweet Dash
EAGLE JAZZ, ’15-g.
Tres Seis
Baja Jazz
Only The Wicked
158 SPEEDHORSE, August 2017
Eagle Jazz & Rodrigo Vallejo win the $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity-G1 by 3/4-lengths
RACING NEWS
Christian Castro