Cartel Charly starts season in 330-yard allowance

Cartel Charly was quick enough last May to qualify for the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity, run in early June. He finished fifth in the 350-yard final.

In the following months, Cartel Charly failed to qualify for the Rainbow or All American futurities at Ruidoso Downs or the Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park. He did win a division of the All American Futurity trials at 440 yards last August, the second win in his six-race career, but did not gain a place in the $3 million final.

Cartel Charly was rested during the winter and will start outside his age group for the first time in a first-condition allowance race at 330 yards on Thursday at Remington Park.

The allowance race is the ninth race on a 10-race program that begins at 7 p.m. Eastern. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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Cartel Charley, owned and bred by Garyln Shelton and trained by John Stinebaugh, can start in the allowance race since time trial races do not count against eligibility.

Jockey Raul Valenzuela has the mount for the first time Thursday, Cartel Charly’s first start at 330 yards. A gelding, Cartel Charly was third in a 300-yard maiden race at Remington Park last April in his career debut and won a 350-yard trial for the Ruidoso Futurity in his second start. In the final, Cartel Charly was 16-1 and finished fifth by 1 1/4 lengths to odds-on favorite Fernweh.

Thursday’s allowance race drew a field of 10, including the 3-year-olds Flying Famous Eagle and Special Candy Kisses, who each had successful seasons last year.

Flying Famous Eagle won the $229,200 Hobbs America Futurity at Zia Park last October in a 24-1 upset, but failed to duplicate that form in two subsequent starts. Flying Famous Eagle was eighth in the $150,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park last December and fifth in an allowance race at 350 yards at Sunland Park in January.

Flying Famous Eagle will start for the first time Thursday for trainer Blane Wood.

The filly Special Candy Kisses, one of five females in Thursday’s race, qualified for four futurities at Canterbury Park and Prairie Meadows last year. Trained by Clinton Crawford, Special Candy Kisses was second in the $156,000 Northlands Futurity at Canterbury Park last July.