Page 125 - May 2016

Remington Park Derby-RG3
A TRES OF PAINT
by Tracy Gantz
ATres Of Paint is a filly of many talents. Earlier this year, she schooled her year- younger stablemate Coronas First Diva, teaching her how to be a racehorse when they galloped together. All the while, “Tresy” continued to develop as a racehorse herself. In late March, Coronas First Diva captured the Oklahoma Futurity-G3. About a month later, A Tres Of Paint obtained her own stakes trophy by winning the April 23 Remington Park Derby-RG3.
“She gets down to business,” said 20-year- old owner Sara Leann Morgan. “When we take her out to the track, she knows what she’s supposed to do. She doesn’t play very much. She’ll look at you as if saying, ‘I know you’re there, but I’m not going to pay attention to you.’ Then when she wants attention, she’ll come to you to get it.”
A Tres Of Paint got down to business in the Remington Park Derby. When the gate opened, she came out willingly for jockey Ivan Carnero, though not on top.
“She never breaks really sharp,” Carnero said. “A couple of the inside horses had her for a while, but about at 200 yards she just got rolling and kind of cruised by them. I didn’t have to ask much.”
Once “Tresy” grabbed the lead in the 400- yard Derby, she looked like a winner. It was an exciting event for Morgan and her brother, Charles (Duke) Shults, who trains the filly.
“About 200 yards into it,
I knew she was going to win it,” said Morgan. “She kind of has this boost at the end, and if she’s already in the front, there’s no catching her in the end.”
Last year, A Tres Of Paint competed in several major races. Her closest whiff of
a stakes victory came with
a second in the Heritage
Place Futurity-G1. She ran
fourth in the Texas Classic
Futurity-G1 and qualified for the Rainbow Futurity-G1, finishing sixth.
“She was always the bridesmaid and never the bride,” said Shults. “Today she was finally the bride, and we’re tickled to death.”
Morgan said that when A Tres Of Paint received a rest between her 2-year-old and 3-year-old season, she also had an ulcer removed from her eye. That, and her maturing as a racehorse, have put her on a three-race winning streak so far this year. She won an allowance race and her April 10 Derby trial for the third fastest qualifying time at Remington before going off as the 8-5 favorite in the final.
“She’s gotten her feet under her,” said Morgan.
Just as with Coronas First Diva, Morgan and Shults’ mother, Dr. Jill Mixer, is also involved.
The family bred A Tres Of Paint in Oklahoma in the name of Jill’s The Mixer Ranch. A Tres Of Paint is out of their mare First Painted Sign, a multiple graded stakes winner bred by Jill and raced by Sara. She has produced four starters, all winners, including 2015 Ruidoso Futurity-G1 winner First Valiant Sign and 2015 Hobbs America Derby-G3 winner Apollitical Sign.
L.P. Frank’s homebred Bye Byefreighttrain (Freighttrain B-Bye Bye Bygones) finished second with Roberto Valero in the irons. The gelding outgamed the rest of the field by a neck for trainer Kasey Willis. Ferrari James (Ivory James-Ferarri Fast Prize) ran third for jockey David Brown, trainer Jody Brown, and owner Alfredo Botello.
Followed by Jess Envision (Apollitical Jess-Answer The Dream), Brimmies Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Brimmies Alli Bi B), Streakin PR (Corona Cartel-Bonnie Streakin), Shaky Hero (Valiant Hero-Shaky Girl), Dianas Tres Seis (Tres Seis-Tempered Reb), Regard With Respect (Chicks Regard- Dynamite Friends) and Rosas Coronas (Corona Cartel-Fast Red Rose).
Remington Park $307,000 • 400 yards :19.808 • si 88
Sixarun
Tres Seis
Our Third Delight
A TRES OF PAINT, ’13-f.
PYC Paint Your Wagon
First Painted Sign
Stylish Sign
A Tres Of Paint and Ivan Carnero score a 3/4-length victory in the $307,000 Remington Park Derby-RG3
SPEEDHORSE, May 2016 123
RACING NEWS
Dustin Orona Photography