The Inside Track by Tim Keithley: What the Trainers are Saying about the Rainbow Futurity
1. Cyber Monday 7/2 Jockey Sergio Becerra Jr.
Trainer Sergio Ibarra: “The colt is extremely intelligent for his age. If he wins this leg of the Triple Crown he’s going to have to give 120-percent coming from the one-hole. The pressure isn’t on the horse—the colt doesn’t know what the Triple Crown is—but you can feel it with all the expectations associated with it. This is a fabulous horse with a bright future.”
2. Empressum 30-1 Jockey Armando Ramirez II
Trainer Valdivia Guilermo: “He made a few mistakes in the trial and yet was still able to qualify for the final which is our hope coming back. The colt didn’t break at all and came running up to finish third in a tailwind. There’s plenty of upside to this horse—especially if he breaks this time.”
3. Mister Illusion 2-1 Jockey Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo
Trainer Heath Taylor: “My horse is physically big and a well-bred individual made for the distance. It was an impressive trial win by two lengths which might have turned some heads. We’ll build off of that and if he improves off a first-time start he could contend in this talent-laden field.”
4. Wryker 9/2 Jockey Jerry Lee Yoakum
Trainer Marc Jungers: “We may be coming in with the fastest trial time but that doesn’t mean anything when we all get back into the starting gate together. We’re just happy to be in the dance with so many other talented horses. We credit putting blinkers on him in the trials—which kept him so much more focused on business. He’s ready to go—plenty of eating and sleeping—getting ready for Sunday.”
5. Caliente Caramelo 15-1 Jockey Tanner Thedford
Trainer Blane Wood: “We decided to skip the Ruidoso with her so that she would be peaking at exactly the right time and be fresh for the All American. We were very excited with her first-out in the Rainbow trials—she came on strong and won with a late finish. I think 440-yards is really going to fit this filly—and that’s our goal with her—get her tight for the All American. She’s developing into a runner.”
6. Remember Then 20-1 Jockey Jose Amado Alvarez
Trainer Blane Wood: “I believe my fillies could outrun each other on any given day—they’ve proven that in training—so it really comes down to which one will decide it’s their day. Caliente Caramelo can probably handle 440-yards a little better than Remember Then but they all are both strong and talented. We’ll put them all in the gate and hope for a check on the other end.”
7. Whistle Stop Café 6-1 Jockey Ricky Ramirez
Trainer Blane Wood: “There’s no question this filly is capable of a big one. She won the Heritage Place Juvenile at Remington so she already has stakes experience going into the final. She’s a hard-knocking sort—gives you 100-percent and is already proven, and I like that she qualified out of the one-hole in the trials. Ricky (Ramirez) had his choice and picked this one to ride back in the final.”
8. Packsaddle Senator 12-1 Jockey James Flores
Trainer Gerald Reed: “The filly false-broke in her trial race and still made up enough ground to qualify for the final. We were chasing the top time which helped us advance. Having the experience of the Ruidoso final is an advantage too—even though she didn’t perform to our expectations. She’s a very nice young filly and we’re happy to pick up James Flores as well—he’s a money rider. We’re really looking forward to see what happens.”
9. Seven 15-1 Jockey Cody Rodger Smith
Trainer Clinton Crawford: “He was number-seven in the select sale last fall and one of his owners is a Mickey Mantle fan so they changed his name to a lucky number. Winning his trial by more than two-lengths give you some indication of the talent we expect. He seems to be improving every time he goes to the track—and he’s undefeated so you can’t ask for much more.”
10. B Cause Im A Hero 8-1 Jockey Benito Baca
Trainer Clinton Crawford: “The colt has stakes experience from Remington Park before coming over here which gave us a lot of promise. He’s won both of his trials with room to spare—and you’ll notice that he’s getting faster with every start. I don’t have any problem with both of my starters being on the outside—I think that will help them stay out of any trouble with so many talented youngsters coming out of the gate trying to get position. We’re confident in our chances to have a good day.”