Page 133 - November 2020

RACING NEWS
“It was surreal because we own the mom and bred the mare... We watched him as a baby. My dad fed (him) every day.”
lead back and held on to score by a neck at the wire in :19.650.
One of three that Willis qualified to the race, Apollitical Gold began his career at Remington Park. Klaiber rode him in his first two races, getting a third and a second. Other jockeys then took over for the next four starts, which included qualifying to the All American Futurity-G1. In the big final, Apollitical Gold ran third.
Jimmy Brooks qualified Apollitical Gold to the Golden State Million Futurity, but rode HR Princess Jess for Willis in the final. They finished fourth.
Willis said that Apollitical Gold always runs well.
“I tried not to do too much with him before this race,” the trainer said. “I galloped him once and schooled him once. He has been very focused. My team that’s here with the horses did it all. I just oversee things a little bit.”
Cox, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist from Tulsa, said that this race was on Apollitical Gold’s schedule before he ever won a race.
“It was surreal because we own the mom and bred the mare,” said Cox. “We watched him as a baby. My dad fed (him) every day. For this horse to win this race, it is unbelievable. I have to thank my dad and my wife for letting me spend money on horses when we probably didn’t have it.”
Cox explained that his parents, Rex and Sue Cox, purchased Oh Mickey Go, the third dam of Apollitical Gold, as a yearling in 1977.
“Most of our horses have come from that mare,” Grant said. “Her last foal was a Strawfly Special baby.”
That foal, Oh Strawfly Go, is the second dam of Apollitical Gold. Oh Strawfly Go only started four times, winning once, and she in turn produced SRC Gold to the cover of PYC Paint Your Wagon. SRC Gold was a winner who competed for Grant and his father.
Apollitical Gold is the first starter for SRC Gold. The Cox family raised him in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
“That’s where I grew up and where (SRC Gold) is now,” Grant said.
SRC Gold has a yearling filly by Tres Seis named Traceys Gold and a weanling colt by First Moonflash named Flash Of Gold.
Aint She Tempting (Tempting Dash-Preslee The First) finished second with Eduardo Nicasio in the saddle. John Cooper trains the filly for own- ers Levins Racing LLC and Dunn Ranch LLC. At Remington Park earlier this year, Aint She Tempting won the Oklahoma Futurity-G2 and finished second in the Heritage Place Futurity-G1.
Jaime Gomez owns and trains third-place J Best Boogie (Docs Best Card-Boogie Special). Jesus Ayala rode the filly, who in four previous starts won twice and finished second twice.
Completing the field were HR Princess Jess (Apollitical Jess-HR Ebony Princess), Counting The Ways (Favorite Cartel-Million Ways), Apollitical Patty (Apollitical Blood-A Perfect Cocktail), Favorite Doc (Favorite Cartel-Look Her Over), Constituent (Seperate Interest-Tahma Hawk), Famous Cartel Jess (Mr Jess Perry-Famous Cartel Lady), and Jessa Bit Of Candy (Jess Good Candy-Ity Bitty Rarity).
1979 Northeast Kansas Quarter Horse Association Derby trial winner Oh Mickey Go, the third dam of Apollitical Gold, pictured with owners Rex and Sue Richards Cox and Leonard Richards, and the Cox’s sons Steven, Grant, and Dustin.
SPEEDHORSE November 2020 131
Photo Courtesy of Grant Cox