Page 173 - Speedhorse November 2019

Valley Junction Futurity-G3
SOUTHARD QUEEN
by Michael Compton
In a competitive renewal of the Valley Junction Futurity-G3 on Oct. 12, it was a pair of Jason Olmstead trainees—Southard Queen and A Tres of Sign—that led the charge across the finish of the 350-yard $219,894 dash and lit up the board.
Ridden by Ramiro Garcia, Southard Queen showed good speed away from the gate of the event. After shrugging off an early challenge from Im Perry Perry Quick, Southard Queen, at odds of 32-1, had to fend off stablemate A Tres of Sign, who was dismissed at odds of 23-1. The Olmstead charges reached for the wire together, with Southard Queen prevailing by a nose. It was another 1/2-length back to third-place finisher Southern Sunshine, with jockey Jorge Torres aboard.
Southard Queen won her Sept. 28 trial cap- turing the fastest qualifying spot. In winning her first stakes race, Southard Queen stopped the timer in :17.654, earning a speed index of 95. The Jo Rice homebred now owns a record of 7-3(1)-0-2(2). The $87,958 winner’s share of the purse increased her bankroll to $122,372.
In the initial stakes start of her career, Southard Queen encountered trouble in the Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity at Canterbury and wound up last of 10. She then qualified
for the Iowa Double Gold Futurity where she finished a game third to Relentless Cowboy, finishing just behind Five Bar
Bodee, who finished ninth in
the Valley Junction Futurity.
Rice bred Southard Queen out of lightly raced Southard Style Lady. She has produced 100% money earners from seven starters. Southard Queen is her first stakes winner.
Runner-up A Tres of
Sign (Tres Seis-First Painted
Sign) just missed under
Justin Shepherd for owner
Thomas Scheckel. A sister to
Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby-RG2 winner A Tres of Paint, A Tres of Sign fin- ished fourth in this year’s Oklahoma-bred
Futurity-RG1 and was also a finalist in the Gopher State Futurity.
Southern Sunshine (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Marys Southernpolicy) finished well to grab the show spot for owner Leann Burns
and trainer Stacy
Charette-Hill. The bay filly was seeking her third straight victory after breaking her maiden Aug. 23 and captur- ing her trial heat on Sept. 28.
Im Perry Perry Quick
(Mr Jess Perry-One Quick Cookie), Striking Perfection (High Rate of Return- Striking Form), Special Candy Kisses (Kiss My Hocks-Special Candy Paint), Undrafted (Lota PYC-The Pampered Side), A Valiant Diamond (One Valiant Hero- Sixy Chamisa) and Five Bar
Prairie Meadows $219,894 • 350 yards :17.654 • si 95
Holland Ease
Coronado Cartel
Corona Chick
SOUTHARD QUEEN, ‘17-f.
Strawfly Special
Southard Style Lady
Lady Mara
Bodie (Five Bar Cartel-And Poof Shes Gone) completed the order of finish. VF Politics N Chicks was scratched.
Southard Queen (#2) and Ramiro Garcia win the $219,894 Valley Junction Futurity-G3.
SPEEDHORSE, November 2019 171
RACING NEWS
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