Page 136 - Speedhorse June 2020

RACING NEWS
Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational Championship-G1
DEXXTER
by Michael Compton
Dexxter made the most of his time at Remington Park this season. The gelding annexed a pair of Grade 1 races, most recently
in the $211,600 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational Championship Stakes-G1 held on track closing night on May 30.
After Dexxter went wire-to-wire in the $70,960 Grade 1 Leo Stakes at 400 yards on May 2, trainer Monty Arrossa, one of the lead- ing conditioners in the country, felt confident that his charge could stretch out, even against the competitive and accomplished field he met in the Debbie Schauf.
“This was the most amazing field of older horses I’ve seen race against each other in a long time,” Arrossa said.
“People told me he might not be able to get 440 yards,” he continued. “We had to prove it. I always like a challenge when someone says we can’t do something.”
With jockey James Flores in the irons, Dexxter was fourth from the eight-hole. He grabbed a head lead soon after the start and had 1/2-length on them at the top of the stretch. The gelding fended off all challengers to score by a 1/2-length under the finish line.
In his first try at the 440-yard distance, Dexxter stopped the timer in a lively :21.207, not far off Jessies First Down’s track record of
Arrossa shipped into Remington with 12 horses for Dunn Ranch. At the conclu- sion of the meet, his barn had sent out horses that earned $810,984 for his owners, fin- ishing second in the money standings. He ranked third
in the country in number of wins in 2018 and was ninth last year when he started 334 horses, won 63 times, while his horses earned $1,109,943.
It was the second year in a row that his starters have pocketed more than $1 million.
“The Dunns sent us some horses to run
in California, and we’d always thought about trying Remington Park, so we decided to come in this year,” Arrossa said. “I promise I’ll be back next year, for sure. I’m so thankful everyone at Remington Park rolled out the red carpet for us.
“I almost didn’t get to come to Remington Park to see my horses run so big,” Arrossa added. “Los Alamitos had suggested all along that they didn’t want their trainers to travel, but they loosened up the restrictions, and I was able to get a flight out and get here by the fourth race.”
:20.772 set in 2018. Dexxter left several stakes winners
in his wake, including 2018 All American Futurity win- ner Apocalyptical Jess, and earned a 103 speed index in his strong performance.
Owned by Dunn Ranch and Valeriano Racing
Stables LLC, Dexxter earned $125,622 for the victory, boosting his total career earn- ings to $404,894.
Beside this stakes win and his win in the Grade 1 Leo Stakes, which was his first start of 2020 as well as his first stakes victory, Dexxter in 2019 also finished second in the Big Lew Handicap and Dillingham Handicap, third in the Southern California Derby-G2, and was a finalist in the Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1 and El Primero Del Ano Derby-G3. In 2018, he was a finalist in both the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1 and Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1.
McColee Land and Livestock LLC bred Dexxter out of multiple stakes winner Tres Of Linda. She has produced 100% winners from five starters. Dexxter is her first stakes winner and top earner.
Remington Park $211,600 • 440 yards :21.207 • si 103
Holland Ease
Corona Cartel
Corona Chick
DEXXTER, ‘16-g.
Tres Seis
Tres Of Linda
Lindas Dasher
Dexxter and jockey James Flores win the $211,600 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational Championship-G1 by 1/2-length.
134 SPEEDHORSE June 2020
Dustin Orona Photography