Page 133 - May 2021

Empressum’s winning connections include owners Steve Holt & Jeff Jones, trainer Heath Taylor and jockey Rodigo Vallejo.
the cover of that stallion Crazy About Corona produced Crazy Down Corona, a winner and the dam of Empressum. Holt and Jones bred Empressum in Oklahoma, and the gelding rewarded them with their first-ever victory in the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby.
It was not an easy task. Empressum encoun- tered more than his share of difficulties along the way. Holt credited jockey Rodrigo Vallejo with a superb ride.
“The ground slipped out from under him when he left (the gate),” said Holt. “Rodrigo was patient. I don’t know that there was one in 15 jockeys that could have been that patient.”
After he lost ground at the start, break-
ing ninth from the two-gate, Empressum was bumped hard between favored Candy Blood on the rail and B Cause Im A Hero. Fifth about halfway through the 400-yard race, Empressum responded to Vallejo’s urging
to come through between those two rivals. Empressum emerged victorious by a neck, stop- ping the timer in :19.625.
“Rodrigo pushed that horse through there,” Holt stated. “I was impressed. That’s as good a ride as I have ever seen a jockey put on a horse, I think.”
Heath Taylor, who trains Empressum, complimented the horse as well.
“He showed a tremendous amount of heart and determination after what happened out of the gate,” said the conditioner. “Rodrigo told me he had to split horses in tight to pass those two. That tells you something about our horse right there.”
Holt said that Empressum impressed him as soon as he started his early training.
“He was born here, and I was there when he was born,” said Holt. “He showed a lot of talent early. He qualified for the Rainbow (Futurity-G1), but he just wasn’t quite as sharp as he was early on.”
Empressum was going through a growth spurt and had a small chip, so Holt and Jones stopped on him.
“I just brought him home and gave him a break,” said Holt. “We decided to take him
to Heath because Heath really focuses on Ruidoso. We felt that he was that kind. I knew Heath is really good at taking those kind and moving them up some.”
Empressum was winning his first stakes.
He won his April 1 trial to the Oklahoma Bred Derby for the third fastest qualifying time. The gelding earned $142,320 for his stakes win, taking his account to $213,478. He previously ran fifth in the 2020 Will Rogers Downs Juvenile Challenge and was a finalist in the Rainbow Futurity-G1
“We expected him to be this kind, but we also know you got to have a lot of luck to get there,” said Holt.
Empressum is one of four winners from six starters for Crazy Down Corona, the others including stakes-placed Cartel Envy. Holt keeps Crazy Down Corona and the rest of his brood- mares at his farm. The mares have a buddy in a 15-year-old gelding of Holt’s named De Passem Okey, a two-time Distance Champion that Holt has given a well-deserved retirement.
Candy Blood (Apollitical Blood-Ranch Candy), bred by Rick Sumner and owned by Sumner and Dunn Ranch, finished second. James
Flores rode the gelding for trainer Monty Arrossa. Candy Blood won the 2020 Holiday Handicap.
Cody Smith piloted HR Princess Jess (Apollitical Jess-HR Ebony Princess) for
owner Larry Rice and trainer Eddie D. Willis. HR Princess Jess qualified for last year’s All American Futurity-G1 and ran sixth in the final.
Completing the field were Apollitical Bird (Apollitical Blood-Painted Laico Bird), B Cause Im A Hero (Valiant Hero-Jess B Mighty), A Pollitical Gal (Apollitical Jess-A Southern Gal), Apollitical Gold (Apollitical Jess-SRC Gold), Everlong (Apollitical Jess-Foo Who) and MH Apollitical Spy (Apollitical Blood-Corona Spy). Eye Work For You was scratched.
Empressum returning after his victory.
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE May 2021 131
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