Page 42 - 27 April 2012

Remington Park Futurity for Accredited Oklahoma-Breds
LOtA PYC
by Tracy Gantz
Champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr. certainly knows a good horse, and so when he praised unraced 2-year-old Lota PYC, trainer
Rodney Reed took notice.
“G.R. came out and worked him at the
ranch,” said Reed. “He told us the colt was the real deal.”
Reed breaks and trains horses at his Reed Training Stables in Wapanucka, Oklahoma. Carter has been working horses for him for 20 years, and Lota PYC, a homebred for owner Steve Holt of Guthrie, Oklahoma, impressed the jockey as a potential star. Carter’s words simply reinforced what Reed had seen since breaking the colt the previous year.
“We thought he was good,” said Holt, “but of course you don’t really know until you get them in competition.”
Lota PYC lived up to Carter’s words when he won the April 14 Remington Park Futurity for Accredited Oklahoma-Breds. The 330-yard race grossed $720,000, but the others were simply running for second. Lota PYC jumped out on top when the gate opened and made it look easy, drawing off with Carter aboard to win by 2 1/4 lengths in :16.614 as the even- money favorite.
“That last race was sure an outstanding race,” said Reed. “He looks like he’ll really like 440 yards.”
Reed received Lota PYC last July and broke him at his stables.
Jockey G.R. Carter and Lota PYC head to the winner’s circle after the Remington Park Futurity.
lengths. The Futurity trials were held on March 30-31. Lota PYC aced his March 31 trial under Carter by three- quarters of a length to post the fastest qualifying time on that night’s card and the second-fastest overall behind A Will And Away.
Coming up to the final, Lota PYC developed a minor
foot problem, which Reed quickly solved. “We pulled his shoes on Tuesday and left him barefoot till Friday,” said Holt. “He got
a new set of shoes Friday night, and boy, he was bouncing.”
Holt also owns De Passem Okey, AQHA’s Champion Distance Horse of 2010 and 2011.
“(De Passem Okey) made me a little money, which has allowed me to dabble,” said Holt. “He’s probably the reason I’ve got this horse.”
Holt bought Lotawatah privately as a yearling.
“She was a little immature,” Holt said. “She had a lot of talent. We ran her a couple of times, and in the Speedhorse trials, she flipped in the gate.”
Upon X-ray, Holt discovered that Lotawatah had a chip, and he decided to retire and breed her. Lotawatah has had two start- ers, and both have won. The first one, Watah Success, finished second in the 2011 Lady Bugs Moon Stakes.
“He was easy to break, and he’s a real smart colt,” said the trainer. “He’s been an easy horse to train too.”
Reed liked the colt so much that when Holt entered Lota PYC in the 2011 Heritage Place Yearling Sale and the dam, Lotawatah, in the 2012 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale, the trainer advised Holt to withdraw them both.
“Rodney called me up and said, ‘You don’t want to get rid of this one—he may be the one you’ve been waiting for,’ ” remembered Holt.
The second time Reed worked Lota PYC at his ranch, the trainer put him up against the filly PYC Ticket, who also qualified and ultimately ran fifth in the Futurity.
“She outbroke him, but he caught up with her and outworked her,” said Reed.
It didn’t take Holt and Reed long to pay the colt into the All American Futurity-G1. Lota PYC is also paid into the Texas Classic Futurity-G1, and the owner and trainer are keeping their options open for the Rainbow Futurity-G1 as well.
Lota PYC trained so forwardly for Reed that he had the colt ready for a maiden race at Remington on March 10, two weeks before the Futurity trials. With Carter in the irons, Lota PYC won the 250-yard race easily by 1 1/4
Remington Park $720,000 • 330 yards :16.614 • si 96
Corona Cartel
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Dashin Follies
LOTA PYC, ’10-c.
Shazoom
Lotawatah
Streaking La Toya
40 SPEEDHORSE, April 27, 2012
Lota PYC had a lot of fans in the winner’s circle to help celebrate his impressive win.
Racing news
Linda Earley
Linda Earley