Page 124 - May 2016

Remington Park Futurity-RG2
TELLER BAJA
by Tracy Gantz
Teller Baja comes from a female family that keeps improving. So it wasn’t surprising to see her become a graded stakes winner this early in her career.
The filly is undefeated in three starts, cul- minating in a crackerjack victory in the April 23 Remington Park Futurity-RG2. Jockey Agustin Silva has been aboard Teller Baja in all three of her races.
First they partnered for a 1/2-length win
in a maiden race at Remington on March 18. Next came the Remington Park Futurity trials, and Teller Baja, in winning hers on April 8, qualified the fastest from two trial days while scoring by an easy 1 1/4-lengths.
That set Teller Baja up as the 6-5 favorite in the final. Drawn into post position four, she came away from the gate on top.
“She broke a little in,” said Silva. “After that, she straightened up and we got the money.” Teller Baja spurted away from the field
and was never headed, at one point leading by 1-length. At the wire, she won by 1/2-length, and she stopped the timer in :16.752 for the 330 yards. The victory was worth $355,200 and boosted Teller Baja’s total lifetime earn- ings to $375,778.
R.L. Robinson trains the filly for Juan Medina of Zapata, Texas. Medina bred the
filly in Oklahoma by cross- ing his Tres Seis mare Baja Jazz with the stallion Teller Cartel.
Medina had purchased Baja Jazz for $13,000 at the 2007 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. Lazy E Ranch LLC consigned Baja Jazz to the sale on behalf of her breeders, Brad and Ann Tate.
When Medina bought
Baja Jazz, she already came
from a solid family full of black type.
Baja Jazz’s second dam, Wicked Winner, won the Ruidoso Horse Sale Derby-G2 and had produced two stakes-placed horses, including First Wicked Lady. Second in the All American Derby-G1, First Wicked Lady as a two year old had qualified for the All American Futurity-G1.
Since that Heritage Place sale, Wicked Winner has become the dam of stakes winner Wicked Royal Cartel, while First Wicked Lady produced stakes winner Teller Shez Wicked. Baja Jazz’s dam, Only The Wicked, has since produced stakes winner Wicked Valentine.
For Medina, Baja Jazz won the 2008 Longhorn Futurity-G1 and ran second in
that year’s Retama Park Futurity-G1. She has pro- duced one winner in two starters.
V Power (Valiant Hero- Ferarri Fast Prize) finished second in the Remington Park Futurity-RG2 after winning his first two races, including his trial. Paul Nieto piloted the gelding for trainer Jerry Ingels and owner David Moore. (Capo De Capi-Eye Opener
122 SPEEDHORSE, May 2016
Teller Baja and Agustin Silva are never headed winning the $888,000 Remington Park Futurity-RG2
Remington Park $888,000 • 330 yards :16.752 • si 91
Corona Cartel
Teller Cartel
Jet Along Jamie
TELLER BAJA, ’14-f.
Tres Seis
Baja Jazz
Only The Wicked
Eye De Man
Bentley), owned by James Sills, who bred him with Gerald Swindell, ran third under jockey Jose Vega. Eddie D. Willis trains the gelding, who also won his first two starts, including his trial.
Completing the field were As and Js (Apollitical Jess-Adolph Tres Knockout), Major Freight (Freighttrain B-Romancin Ashley), Spicey Hero (Valiant Hero-CR Sugar N Spice), One Corona Episode (One Famous Eagle-A Corona Episode), B Double U (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Sixes Fisher), Political Bliss (Apollitical Jess-Blissful Beth) and B A Mighty Dream (Mighty B Valiant-Louisiana Blue Dream).
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Dustin Orona Photography