San Lorenzo Tay notches upset in Oklahoma-Bred Futurity

San Lorenzo Tay avoided the early trouble that hampered two leading rivals to record a mild upset in Saturday’s $926,500 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity at 330 yards.

Ridden by Agustin Silva for trainer Kelly Heltzel, San Lorenzo Tay ($16.60) took the lead shortly after the start and won by a half-length over 20-1 EM High Country in a field of 10.

Mr Apollo Jess, the even-money favorite, bumped with 5-2 second choice Especially Jess in the initial strides, dearly costing both runners any chance for a win.

San Lorenzo Tay, a gelding by Ivory James, was timed in 16.66 seconds and earned $370,600 for owner Rogelio Marquez Jr. San Lorenzo Tay was purchased for $67,000 at the 2020 Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma last September. The gelding is unbeaten in three starts.

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This was Heltzel’s biggest win. Through Saturday, Heltzel had won with a remarkable 9 of 17 runners at the Remington Park meeting, which began on March 7. Heltzel had her first starter at Lone Star Park last September.

Heltzel is the latest in a lengthy list of trainers for Marquez, of Rosenberg, Texas.

Marquez has had several notable stakes runners in recent years, but switches trainers with remarkable frequency. The stakes winner Political Attraction, who won 11 of 20 starts and earned $972,289, had five trainers, for example.

Earlier on Saturday’s Remington Park program, Empressum ($34) won the biggest race of his career in the $355,800 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby at 400 yards. Ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo for trainer Heath Taylor, Empressum finished a neck in front of 6-5 favorite Candy Blood, who stumbled at the start.

Empressum, who races for owners and breeders Jeff Jones and Steve Holt, was timed in 19.62 seconds. Last July, Empressum was eighth in the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.

Apollitical Gold, the champion 2-year-old gelding of 2020, finished seventh, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

The 5-year-old gelding Valiant Tiberias won his third consecutive stakes in the $100,000 Sooner State Stakes for older Oklahoma-breds at 400 yards. Ridden by James Flores, Valiant Tiberias ($3.80) won by a length over Oatman Creek Senator, who was third in the $1 million Los Alamitos Super Derby last November.

Valiant Tiberias has won 10 of 21 starts and earned $661,593.

In the $75,000 Easy Date Stakes for fillies and mares at 350 yards, Cat Daddys Lil Girl ($12.60) edged Ratification, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, by a head. The Easy Date Stakes was Ratification’s first start of the year.

Cat Daddys Lil Girl was second in the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap at Los Alamitos on Jan. 3 in her only previous start this year.