Country Boy 123’s sizzling victory in the $116,100 Picov Derby on Sept. 19 highlighted an exciting afternoon of Quarter Horse racing at Ajax Downs in which wagering for the 10-race card set a record.
Total all-source wagering for the afternoon was $131,387, bettering last year’s Picov Derby card total of $79,015, an increase of 65 percent. This year’s Derby which also include three trials for the prestigious Alex Picov Futurity on Oct. 10, was the 24th racing date of the 2016 season.
Ruth Barbour’s Country Boy 123 was a popular winner of the 4th running of the Picov Derby, racing to a 1 ¼ length victory under jockey Cory Spataro as the 3 to 5 betting favourite. The dark bay 3-year-old posted the highest speed Index of the Ajax season, a 107, as he tied the track record for 400-yards of :19.66.
It was the sixth win in seven races for Country Boy 123, a 3-year-old gelding by Country Chicks Man who is trained by Bryn Robertson.
Country Boy 123 earned $40,400 for the Derby win, increasing his career earnings to just over $90,000 from six wins in 10 starts.
The next start for the gelding could be the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge at Los Alamitos in California on Oct. 29, a race for which he qualified when he won the Adequan Ajax Challenge on Aug. 14.
If the results of the three trials for the Alex Picov Futurity are any indication, fans will be in for a treat for the $75,000-added final on Oct. 10.
Home to Vegas remains unbeaten in four races with his victory in the third and fastest trial of the afternoon. Owned by Brian Samis and Marie Broadstock, the Ontario-bred gelding by Down Home Dash led throughout the 400 yards to win by half a length under Tony Phillips in a time of :20.480, a speed index of 86. Trained by Bob Broadstock, Home to Vegas edged Deception North, owned by Picov Cattle Co. and Erik and Joyce Lehtinen’s One Special Domino.
Milena Kwicien’s Denali Teller Off, a 2-year-old filly by Louisiana Senator, won the first trial for the Futurity by half a length in a time of :20.740 for a 79 speed index. Trained by Jason Pascoe, Denali Teller Off was ridden by Ramiro Castillo and the pair defeated Karen Dickey’s Flirt with the Boyz.
Hickerson, owned by DK Training Centre and Richard Wincikaby, was placed first through disqualification in his trial as winner Zoxtobeyou was demoted for drifting inwards and causing interference. Hickerson, ridden by Brian Bell and trained by Don Reid, is a son of Country Chicks Man and was bred in Ontario by Guylaine Paquin.
The top 10 qualifiers for the Alex Picov Futurity are listed below:
Rank Horse Time Finish Trainer Jockey Owners
1 Home to Vegas 20.48 1 Bob Broadstock Tony Phillips Samis/Broadstock
2 Deception North 20.58 2 Joe Tavares Max Badal Picov Cattle
3 One Special Domino 20.62 3 Erik Lehtinen Jeff MacLaren Lehtinen
4 Home Ice 20.65 4 Greg Watson Shanley Jackson Full Circle
5 Hickerson 20.68 1 Scott Reid, Brian Bell Wincikaby/DK Training
6 Kona Corona 20.69 2 Greg Watson Neil Husbands Full Circle
7 Denali Teller Off 20.74 1 Jason Pascoe R. Castillo Kwiecien
8 Flirt With the Boyz 20.84 2 Barry Wood Chelsey Willick Dickey
9 Lummis First 20.94 5 Scott Reid Cassandra Jeschke Wilson
10 Dash to Miami 20.98 6 Barry Wood Josh Scott Burnie
The exciting racing at Ajax Downs continues each Monday with a post time of 12:55 p.m.
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