Retama: Bard eyes Futurity upset

Trainer Leon Bard might not have the fastest qualifier for Saturday night’s $400,000 Texas Quarter Horse Association Sale Futurity at Retama Park near San Antonio, but he will send out two of the field’s most accomplished runners in Hiclass Heat and Twilight B.

The Sale Futurity is a Grade 1 for eligible Texas-breds. It will be run over 350 yards and serves as the richest race of the year at Retama.
Triple Vodka will command much of the attention in the Sale Futurity as an undefeated horse who set the fastest qualifying time for the series. He won his 350-yard trial by a length in 17.77 seconds on July 15. But each of the Bard horses, who will start as separate interests, looks capable at a price.

Hiclass Heat was the second fastest Sale Futurity qualifier, when he won his trial in 17.89. He romped by 1 1/4 lengths, and improved his career record to 3 for 5. Hiclass Heat, who is the winningest member of the field, also is stakes placed against open company. In April, he was second by three-quarters of a length in the $30,000 Sam Houston Juvenile.

Carlos Madeira, who shipped in from New Mexico to ride Hiclass Heat in the trials, has the mount again Saturday.

Twilight B finished third by a neck in his trial, which was his first start since May. Earlier this year, Twilight B was third by a length in the Grade 1 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park, a 300-yard race that Valiant War Hero won in a world-record time of 14.59 seconds. Juan Vazquez has the mount Saturday.