Page 46 - 27 April 2012

Remington Park Derby for Accredited Oklahoma-Breds
A tOSS UP
by Tracy Gantz
Big and gangly, A Toss Up was a talented 2-year-old who already is better at 3. The gelding proved that by tackling a host
of black-type rivals and winning the April 14 Remington Park Derby for Accredited Oklahoma-Breds.
Though A Toss Up broke well from the outside under jockey David Pinon, BPS Jumpin Frisco got the early jump on him. A Toss Up quickly challenged the leader and began to pull away. Cruzin The Wagon closed to A Toss Up’s hip, but couldn’t make up any further ground. A Toss Up defeated Cruzin The Wagon by three-quarters of a length, get- ting the 400 yards in :19.789.
A Toss Up ran second to Send Me A Candy Tree in his April 1 trial and was the sixth-fastest qualifier. Eddie Willis trains him for James Sills and Abel Flores of Cedar Hills, Texas.
“He didn’t run real good in the trials,” said Sills. “He didn’t look like he felt real good. He’s a nice horse who is coming back from last year. It’s all about getting him right, and Eddie has done a good job training him.”
At 2, A Toss Up qualified for the Remington Park Juvenile Stakes but ran ninth in the April 16 final. Willis said that A Toss Up came out of the race “a little sore,” so the trainer rested him.
The time off put A Toss Up on the right path, as he reeled off victories in his trial and final for the Black Gold Division II Futurity at Will Rogers Downs and his trial for the Black Gold Championship-G3.
2-year-old by FDD Dynasty, Cartel Dynasty, competed in the Remington Park Futurity for Accredited Oklahoma- Breds, finishing sixth.
“We don’t have a yearling out of her,” said Sills. “But
she had two this year—a full brother to Cartel Dynasty and a Mr Eye Opener filly. She’s bred back to Sweet First Down.”
Finishing second, Stormy Smith rode Cruzin The Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon- Penelope Cruzin) for owners Terry and Mary Louise Pursel and trainer Brent Clay. Earlier this year, the filly won the Oklahoma Derby, and last year she captured the Northlands Futurity-G3 and Valley Junction Futurity-G3.
Willis also trains BPS Jumpin Frisco (Jumpn-Frisco Fling), who finished third with Jimmy Brooks in the saddle. Bill Price bred and owns the gelding, who ran second in this year’s Mr Jet Moore Stakes.
Completing the field were Priceless Feature (Feature Mr Jess-Southern Price), Painted Lies (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Teller Lies), BV Valentine Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Eyesa First), Rmiss Jessy (Mr Jess Perry-Rdustys Chick), Send Me A Candy Tree (Oak Tree Special-Send Me The Candy), Jess Foolin (FDD Dynasty-Miss Jess Perry), and Haulin Candy Salt (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Salt Lake Spitty).
Bad racing luck
plagued A Toss Up in the Championship final, how- ever. He reared in the gate and then stumbled at the start, yet he was still able to finish fourth.
“He almost fell down,”
said Sills. “He just didn’t
have luck that day. We always
knew he had ability. It was
just a matter of him putting it together.”
Willis gave A Toss Up four months off, allowing the gelding time to mature. In his first 2012 start, A Toss Up won the March 4 Eastex Handicap-G2 against older horses.
“He’ll probably be better this year,” said Sills. “He still probably needs to gain another 30-35 pounds, but he’s coming along.”
Willis has been closely associated with A Toss Up and his entire family. He trained the sire, Sweet First Down, and the mare, Shake Cartel, and he raised the mare and her son for Sills and Flores. Sills bred A Toss Up, and Sills and Flores own a majority of the stallion.
Shake Cartel won four of 16 races, ran fourth in the 2004 Oklahoma Juvenile Challenge-G3, and set a track record for 250 yards at Remington. All three of her starters have won, beginning with Miss Okey, a daugh- ter of Okey Dokey Dale who finished second in the 2009 Black Gold 300 Futurity. The night of the Remington Park Derby, Shake Cartel’s
Remington Park $246,000 • 400 yards :19.789 • si 91
First Down Dash
Sweet First Down
Sweet Bye And Bye
A TOSS UP, ’09-g.
Corona Cartel
Shake Cartel
Shake N Quack
44 SPEEDHORSE, April 27, 2012
A Toss Up cruised to a three-quarters of a length win in the $246,000 Remington Park Derby.
Racing news
Linda Earley