For the first time in the history of the Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park, two horses dead-heated for victory in the lucrative race. Saturday’s Grade 1 event, worth $1,161,010 for 2-year-olds went to Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite.
The two horses that could not be separated at the wire circled with jockeys, trainers and owners awaiting the decision of the photo-finish. The wait went on and on and on, with both Francisco Calderon and Francisco Ramirez, Jr., aboard Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite, respectively, fighting in their minds the possible outcomes. Finally after approximately 10 minutes of waiting, the flash came on the toteboard in giant, electric letters, “DEAD HEAT.”
Calderon was on the 11-horse, Apollirevenge, and the last thing he wanted was to be told the 2-horse, Effortless Favorite, had beaten him by a nose.
“I’ve run second (in the Heritage Place Futurity) three years in a row, with Firey Angel last year, Deep Blue the year before that and Take a Swig of This in 2022,” Calderon said, who got Apollirevenge into the dead heat for owner Dunn Ranch of Wynnewood, Okla., and trainer Marco Chavez-Gutierrez.
Neither camp was quite sure how the photo was going to turn out after 350 yards of all-out speed.
“Not putting the numbers up all that time; oh my, I couldn’t swallow,” said Calderon. “It would definitely killed me for sure if they had put me up second. No, I’m just thankful to my Lord and Jesus Christ for getting me the win tonight.”
Ramirez said his stomach was doing flip-flops as he awaited the outcome.
“I was trying to stay positive,” he said. “I knew we were out there in front. I was just hoping my horse had the longest nose at wire. He’s always been an easy horse to get along with. Just a Cadillac. I didn’t doubt one bit that he could be this good.”
Both Apollirevenge and Effortless Favorite stopped the timer in :17.497 like a pair of conjoined horses. It couldn’t have been any closer.
Only a neck back of the dead-heat winners was the post-time 8-5 favorite, Jess A Good Angel, ridden by Juan Pulido, the leading rider this season at Remington Park. Pulido had been hurt early in the card at the gate for the Boyd Morris Memorial, and there was some doubt whether he would finish the card. He could visibly be seen limping on one leg and shaking that leg in the paddock in subsequent races. Pulido toughed it out, however, and almost won the Heritage Place Futurity, finishing that neck behind in a three-horse photo finish.
Apollirevenge was sent off at 4-1 odds and paid $5.40 to win, $5.80 to place and $3.60 to show. Effortless Effort was 8-1 and returned $9 to win, $9.20 to place and $5 to show.
The rest of the order of finish past the top three was DR Americas Dynasty (7-1) in fourth, Cyber Command III (6-1) fifth, Flying Policy 123 (12-1) sixth, Hawkeye Vision (7-1) seventh, Jess Flash the Cash (31-1) eighth and Coronados 123 (11-1) ninth. Two horses scratched from the race – Jay W and Calling Chicks – the two fastest qualifiers from each night of trials earlier in May.
Calderon said Apollirevenge’s attitude at the beginning of the race may have caused her to be dead-heated.
“She was being a little mean in the gate; she kind of stepped back when they popped it, which cost her a little bit,” he said. She really bore down at the wire and I asked her for everything she had.”
Calderon had his choice between Apollirevenge and DR Americas Dynasty and selected Apollirevenge even though her time was slower in the trials than that of her stablemate.
“You know, I worked them both at the farm and it just felt like Apollirevenge was finishing better after 150 to 200 yards,” Calderon said. “I’m glad I was right, and my agent. It was a team effort.”
Owner Matt Dunn said he has big plans for this filly by A Revenant, out of the Apollitical Jess mare Apollititaka. Apollirevenge was bred in California by Rancho El Cabresto
“She goes to the mountain (Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico),” Dunn said. “She will run in the Rainbow (Futurity) and then the All American and then we will ship her to California if everything goes well.”
The other winning jockey, Ramirez, was going through the same flood of emotions watching the super screen that eventually flashed the decision.
“A bunch of stuff was going through my head,” he said. “I was just hoping we dead-heated after a while. It was a big night. I was lucky enough to win this race in 2016 aboard Duponte. Thank God I could do it again.”
Each set of owners earned $342,498 apiece. The owners of Effortless Favorite – Tom and Bill Maher and Dick Tobin of Pierre, S.D. – were happy with the outcome.
“Jason Olmstead, who trains for us, he picks this horse out (of the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale last fall for $67,000),” said Bill Maher. “He comes over to Dick and us and says, ‘Hey, you got any money?’ I said, ‘A little,’ but then referred him to brother Tom, who has more than (me) the rancher-farmer.”
Effortless Favorite is an Oklahoma-bred by Wallace Johnson. He is by Favorite Cartel from the Corona Cartel mare Swingin Cartel.
Apollirevenge was purchased for $48,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale last year.
Apollirevenge improved her record to three wins in three starts for a bankroll of $363,663. Effortless Favorite is now also three-for-three and has a bankroll of $363,138.
This was the first time in the history of the Heritage Place Futurity since it began in 1990 that two horses dead-heated for the win.
