Bargain buy Revenant Moon seeks big payday in Oklahoma Futurity

Last August, at a sale pavilion outside of Oklahoma City, Revenant Moon was purchased as a yearling for the bargain price of $20,000.

On March 8, Revenant Moon won her debut by two lengths in a division of the Oklahoma Futurity trials at Remington Park. Revenant Moon was timed in 15.59 seconds for 300 yards, by far the fastest qualifying time.

The filly was the 7-5 favorite in the trial and may be about the same price in Saturday’s $477,200 final, the first major futurity of the Remington Park winter-spring Quarter Horse meeting. Saturday’s program includes the $251,600 Oklahoma Derby at 350 yards.

Revenant Moon races for the partnership of Trey Odom, Scott Bryant, and Norman Allen and is trained by Trey Wood. She tipped her ability in February with quick gate workouts at Retama Park and Remington Park. On Feb. 24, Revenant Moon won a 250-yard training race in 13.65 seconds at Remington Park.

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Jose Alvarez rode Revenant Moon in the trials and retains the mount in a field of 10 in Saturday’s final.

There were 14 trials for the Oklahoma Futurity on March 8, a program delayed a few days after winter weather conditions in February briefly halted training prior to the start of the meeting on March 7.

The Oklahoma Futurity consists of nine trial race winners and Sky Kisser, who was second to Revenant Moon. The second-fastest qualifier was Hock It to You, who was timed in 15.66 seconds, much quicker than third qualifier Foose Lodge in 15.81.

The Oklahoma Derby field is led by Relentlessly, a sharp trial race winner by 1 3/4 lengths on March 7 in his first start since July. Relentlessly, trained by Jose Huerta, ran 350 yards in 17.58 seconds. Last March, Relentlessly was second in the $383,725 Oklahoma Futurity to Aint She Tempting, who was later second in the Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park and the Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos.

Relentlessly’s main rivals in the Oklahoma Derby are trial race winners Card One Starter (17.66 seconds) and Leading Cartel (17.99).

Card One Starter, who will start from the rail, is trained by Edelmiro Carrizales, who won with four of his first nine runners at the Remington Park meeting. In 2020, Card One Starter was second in the Old South Futurity at Delta Downs in July and third in the Texas Quarter Horse Association Sires Futurity at Retama Park in August.

Leading Cartel is unbeaten in four starts for trainer Mike Robbins, including a win in the Mountain Top Futurity for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs last June in his final start of 2020. Leading Cartel won the first division of the Oklahoma Derby trials, which was the first race of the winter-spring meeting.