Page 41 - 30 March 2012

harrah’s Entertainment Futurity-G3
InTErEsTInG Man
by Tracy Gantz
Interesting Man missed giving owner Javier Ramirez his first futurity victory by one day. Stablemate Dash For Coronas won the Oklahoma
Futurity-G1 at Remington Park a day before Interesting Man captured the March 18 Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity-G3 at Louisiana Downs.
When the gate opened, Interesting Man came out quickest. One Fast Wagon veered out slightly, tightening things up for Wasting No Corona to her immediate outside and Interesting Man outside of him. Interesting Man quickly outran Wasting No Corona to give himself clear racing room, but Jetblack Gold Moment from post two began cutting into Interesting Man’s lead.
“We were crossing our fingers at the photo,” said Javier Contreras, who trains Interesting Man and Dash For Coronas for Ramirez.
The photo revealed Interesting Man as the winner by a nose in :15.596 for the 300 yards.
“I was so happy to win like that,” said Contreras. “We’ve lost so many races that way.”
Interesting Man made his racing debut
in his March 3 trial for the Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity. He won his trial by a half-length, and his time of :15.705 just got him into the final as the 10th qualifier. That trial time didn’t deter the bettors, who made him the fourth choice at 3.40-1. Wave Cover, who finished third, went off as the 2.40-1 favorite as the fastest qualifier.
Contreras, 24, has done well in the Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity, despite only training for about four years.
“I won the race two years ago with Endless Ocean,” he said, “and I finished third last year with Poker Face B.”
Contreras qualified a second horse to this year’s final in Wasting No Corona, who finished fourth.
Ramirez purchased Interesting Man and Dash For Coronas as yearlings at the 2011 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale. He paid $7,200 for Interesting Man, then named Pedaltothemetal, and decided to change his name. Contreras said that future plans for the gelding include the Firecracker Futurity at Delta Downs, with the trials June 16 followed by the July 7 final.
Bobby D. Cox bred Interesting Man
in Texas from the 6-year-old mare Fit To Celebrate, who was unplaced in her only
start. She produced her first foals in 2010— Interesting Man by Heza Fast Dash and the Ivory James filly Graced Like Rain. Interesting Man is Fit To Celebrate’s first starter.
Fit To Celebrate is out of 2004 Broodmare of the Year Fitting Celebration, who was also a Grade 2 winner. Fitting
Celebration’s other foals include champion and All American Derby-G1 win- ner Brimmerton, Grade 1 winner Gone Celebrating, and stakes-placed Benz, as well as stakes producers Feefees Celebration and Midnite Celebration.
Mercy Hinklin’s homebred Jetblack Gold Moment (Jet Black
Patriot-Royally Streak) outfinished Wave Cover (Wave Carver-Ronas Cover Girl) for second by three-quarters of a length. Danny Lavergne rode Jetblack Gold Moment for trainer Kenneth Roberts Sr. in both their winning trial and the final. Raul Ramirez Jr. piloted Wave Cover in his trial and final for trainer Miguel Rodriguez and owner JNI Breeding Farm.
Rounding out the field were Wasting
No Corona (Coronas Leaving You-Its Stoli Time), RC Tres Times Seis (Tres Seis-Three Times Four), Mr Tachometer (Tac It Like A Man-Corona Kitten), One Fast Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Fast Mans Prize), Torsk (Brimmerton-Beauty N The Beach), Classic Patriot (Game Patriot-Classic Guitar), and TF Heza Royal Corona (Royal Quick Dash- Eagles Edge).
Louisiana Downs $221,640 • 300 yards :15.596 • si 95
Heza Fast Man
Heza Fast Dash
First Prize Dash
INTERESTING MAN, ’10-g.
This Snow Is Royal
Fit To Celebrate
Fitting Celebration
Interesting Man (#7) nosed out Jetblack Gold Moment to win the $221,640 Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity-G3 at Louisiana Downs.
SPEEDHORSE, March 30, 2012 39
racing news
natalie Glyshaw/hodges Photography