Dk Marney Jess, under jockey Juan Pulido, won the Grade 2 $621,810 Sam Houston Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park Saturday night.
© Coady Photography
HOUSTON, TX–JUNE 15, 2024– Dk Marney Jess became the first double graded stakes winning 2-year-old in the nation Saturday night when she posted a neck win in the Grade 2 $621,810 Sam Houston Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park.
She won the $397,402 Louisiana Downs Futurity(G2) in March.
Jockey Juan Pulido picked up the mount after Nestor Duran pulled off to ride the fastest qualifier, Machiavelli, who finished third after breaking in at the start. A daughter of leading sire Apollitical Jess, Dk Marney Jess completed the 330 yards in 16.644 seconds, equaling a 104-speed index into a 3 mph headwind."Nestor Duran qualified her, so I looked at the tapes and saw that she does well in the gates and today she didn't miss, Pulido said after the race. "She took me to first! I thank the connections, Juan, and the owner, for this opportunity!"
Trainer Juan Diaz, Jr., who saddled five horses in the Sam Houston Futurity final, conditions Dk Marney Jess for owner CH Horse Racing LLC. Dk Marney Jess has four wins in four career starts and used the $248,724 winner's purse to boost her earnings to $436,690. She is now the #2 leading money-earning Quarter Horse in 2024.
"She showed what she was capable of at Louisiana Downs," Diaz, Jr. said. "One of the things that we were excited about is running her under the lights; her first two starts in Louisiana were during the afternoon. We wanted to see how she would do."
After running 20 horses in the trials, Diaz was asked what it takes to win the final.
"Like I have always said, it's a team effort. Between the jockeys, grooms and team back home and of course, great owners. Our horses are well bred."
Cuadra La Presita bred the filly in Mexico from the stakes-winning Corona Cartel mare Marney Jo, a sister to champion and a leading third-crop sire Kvn Corona and Grade 1 winner Big Lew.
For additional information for breeding contract call Royal Vista Ranch farm manager Laura Erickson at (405) 449-7575.