Page 51 - 27 April 2012

West Texas Futurity-G1
El DuEro
by John Moorehouse
Those placing wagers didn’t think much
of El Duero’s chances in the West Texas Futurity-G1. The way Toby Keeton sees it, that’s their loss. El Duero’s half-length win
in the $217,147 stakes on April 15 at Sunland Park officially was considered an upset consid- ering the gelding faced odds of nearly 13-1 at the betting window. To El Duero’s connec- tions, however, it was no great shock.
“He might have surprised them, but he didn’t surprise us,” trainer
Toby Keeton told Speedhorse.
Keeton thinks that El Duero was underestimated after running second in his futurity trial and logging the sixth-fastest qualifying time.
“That colt lugged out the whole way,” the trainer observed regarding the trial run. “He was kind of scared of the inside fence there.”
El Duero drew the No. 7
gate for the futurity, however,
and Keeton really liked the
gelding’s chances once he saw that starting position. Keeton was proven right by the time the 300-yard race had concluded. El Duero started in the middle of the pack, but fired late
to pass Pajarita Sita and make it to the wire first by a half-length.
Jockey Agustin Silva was aboard as El Duero finished the 300 yards in :14.683 to register
a 104 speed index benefited by a 15 mph tailwind. The victory reaped a $102,059 payday for the gelding’s owners at R.T. Stables, which boosted El Duero’s total bankroll to $104,159.
R.T. Stables is comprised of Joel Valeriano, his brother Sammy Valeriano and business
partner Lionel Zapata, who own Reliable Transportation in Odessa, Texas. Keeton described them as “really good people to train for. They listen and they don’t make you push the horses or anything. If a horse is ready to run, you run them. If they’re not, they don’t make you. We need more of them in the business.”
Jorge Haddad bred El Duero out of La Jolla Rocket, a 1994 mare he also owns.
La Jolla Rocket also holds black type, winning the Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity-RG3 in 1996 at Delta Downs. Three of La Jolla Rocket’s 10 foals have made starts. La Jolla
Suspect, a half-sister to El Duero, is stakes- placed with a quartet of top-three finishes.
Up next, El Duero will compete in the trials for the Heritage Place Futurity-G1 at Remington Park.
“Boy, we had a great weekend,” said Keeton, who wife, Cindi, won the Sam Houston Derby the night before the West Texas Futurity. “I just hope many more of them keep happening.”
Yield To Libby (Azoom-Libbys Cartel) made a late move to surpass Pajarita Sita and finish second. Victor Diaz is the owner and Hermenegildo Aldavaz the trainer. Jockey Esgar Ramirez did the riding. Pajarita Sita (Pappasito-Mongoose Jet Eye), the pre-race favorite, placed third by a nose for owner/ trainer Alonso Orozco. Adrian Ramos drew the riding assignment.
The remaining order of finish in the West Texas Futurity was Caballo Famous Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Tres Fames) in fourth, followed by War Front (Tres Seis- Roll The Hardways), Xquizit (Ivory James- Kpax), Sugardaddy B (Bigtime Favorite-LS Honey Brown), Greater Still (Hawkinson- Eyesa Painted Bug) and What Gives (Ivory James-Special And Genuine). Rawhide Creek was scratched.
Sunland Park $217,147 • 300 yards :14.683 • si 104
Special Task
Oak Tree Special
Easy Lady Oak
EL DUERO, ’10-g.
Streakin La Jolla
La Jolla Rocket
Holme By Rocket
El Duero scores a half-length victory under jockey Agustin Silva in the $217,147 Grade 1 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park.
SPEEDHORSE, April 27, 2012 49
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Tommie Morelos: Coady Photography