Page 126 - April 2016

Oklahoma Futurity-G3
CORONAS FIRST DIVA
by Tracy Gantz
Coronas First Diva is truly a family produc- tion. Duke Shults trains the filly for his sister, Sara Leann Morgan, and their mother,
Dr. Jill Mixer, bred her in partnership with Tom Lepic. The family togetherness paid off when Coronas First Diva captured the Oklahoma Futurity-G3 at Remington Park on March 26.
The filly had to overcome a troubled start to win, a particularly brave performance considering that she was only making her second official start.
“She kind of broke behind the #4 horse (Good Captain Pepper),” said Morgan. “The #4 horse got in front of her a little bit and bumped her on the shoulder.”
But jockey James Flores found an opening for Coronas First Diva, and they flew to the front. The filly scored by 3/4-length in the 300-yard race, getting the distance in :15.206.
“She didn’t leave as good as she could, but she’s such a natural. She caught on really quick,” Flores said. “I let her get her feet in front of her. I knew I had plenty of horse. She’s been training very well. I just let her do her thing and helped her a little bit on the end, and she got us home.” Coronas First Diva’s only previous experi- ence came from a schooling race and her March 12 trial for the Oklahoma Futurity in which
she finished second by a nose to KG Johnny B Good. Those two were the two fastest qualifiers.
Morgan, a 20-year-old
who is studying architecture
at Oklahoma State University,
is already a seasoned racehorse owner. She also owns stakes winner Cruise By Diva, a 1/2-brother to Coronas First Diva, and graded stakes-placed A Tres Of Paint. In fact, Morgan gave A Tres Of Paint credit for helping Coronas First Diva win.
“We would always take
Coronas First Diva out with
Tresy when they’d gallop,” said Morgan. “She would learn from Tresy, and she matured a lot faster than a lot of the other babies.”
Coronas First Diva is all business, Morgan continued. “She has a little bit of attitude. She likes to be left alone except for when you take her out to graze, which she loves.”
If all goes well, Coronas First Diva may tackle a few more big futurities at Remington and pos- sibly head to Ruidoso Downs later this year.
Spit Curl Diva, the dam of Coronas First Diva, raced in the name of Lepic-Morgan partnership. Spit Curl Diva earned $829,353 on the track, winning 12 stakes, including the 2008 Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup Futurity-RG1, and 2010 Refrigerator Handicap-G1 and
AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship-G1. The
family bred Coronas First
Diva in Oklahoma with Lepic in the name of Lepic-Mixer Partnership. Spit Curl Diva has produced six winners in seven starters. In addition to stakes winners Coronas First Diva and Cruise By Diva, who won this year’s Beautiful Prairie Stakes, those winners also include Divas First Wagon,
who finished third in the 2016 Biscayne Stakes. Francisco Garza’s homebred Sweet Annie GL
(One Sweet Jess-Grande Annee) finished second for jockey Agustin Silva and trainer R.L. Robinson.
Good Captain Pepper (Captain Courage- Poise N Pepper) was a nose back in third, with Jose Vega in the irons. Eddie D. Willis trains the gelding for owner Carlos Lozano.
Completing the field were Freal (Favorite Cartel-Mt Rob This Corona), Gronkowski (Walk Thru Fire-Babe On The Fly), Feature Moonflash (First Moonflash-Feature Lucy), KG Johnny B Good (Jonathan Perry-Glitzee), Im A Pollitician (Apollitical Jess-Special Eyepod), & Kontemporary (American Runaway-Bodacious Dream). Southern Tac It was scratched.
Remington Park $420,000 • 300 yards :15.206 • si 95
Holland Ease
Corona Cartel
Corona Chick
CORONAS FIRST DIVA, ’14-f.
Spit Curl Jess
Spit Curl Diva
Some Kinda Diva
124 SPEEDHORSE, April 2016
Coronas First Diva and James Flores score the victory in the $420,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Futurity
RACING NEWS
Dustin Orona Photography