Heza Hawkeye has sights set on QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity Final

Heza Hawkeye has his sights set on his second Futurity win this season. The sprinter bested a total of 78 freshmen over nine trials hoping to advance to the $230,111 final of the Restricted Grade 3 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Heza Hawkeye set the tone with the quickest time of 17.752 seconds.

Heza Hawkeye began from post six with German Rodriguez, who also serves as the trainer. The duo came out of the gate with commanding power and in a few steps had secured the lead, despite some close quarters to his outside coming out of the gate. Heza Hawkeye hit top speed midway through the 350-yard dash and once on the lead, became a little unfocused, bearing in for the final strides.

Heza Hawkeye scored the win by two and one-half lengths under wraps by Rodriguez for the win. Ole Slew Foot and Martin Munoz finished second over EOS Maggie May and Brian Hollingsworth.

“The first time I rode him, I didn’t think he had that much speed, but every start he shows more and more,” said Rodriguez. “He left there running today. He wasn’t playing around. When you get on the lead with him you have to hold on because you never know where he’s going. I think he needs competition on both sides of him to make him run straight. He may be running green right now, but he’s very classy and he’s starting to act like a professional.”

Heza Hawkeye was the overwhelming favorite, paying $2.10 to win. The Hawkeye grey gelding is owned by Roberto Chavez’s Chavez Racing. His standout performer is now three for four in his career and on a three-race win streak.

While Heza Hawkeye secured the top spot heading to the final, a sleeper in the field secured the 10^th spot. Delreys Rollin Bayou was one of two winners in the Futurity Trials for trainer Ron Raper. As a winner in the earlier races, he was the early leader before slipping to 10^th after the final race.

Ridden by Eduardo Diaz, Delreys Rollin Bayou started from post one and battled with Apollitical Speed and Fernando Morin in the early stages before using a final surge that put him under the wire first by a neck over Apollitical Speed. Fired Up Corona and German Rodriguez finished third.

Delreys Rollin Bayou earned his second career win in five starts this season. He is a home bred by owner Dan Wasserbeck of Ohio, who is a truck driver by trade and a longtime supporter of Indiana Quarter Horse racing. He paid $7.20 for the win as one of the favorites in his trial.

“This is a nice horse with a big strong pit,” said Raper, a nine-time leading trainer in Indiana. “He’s easy to get along with and good in the barn. We expected him to run well today. The reload messed him up a little and he was a little sideways coming out of the gate, but he ran before he was asked to. He has a lot of talent and belongs to a great guy (Dan Wasserbeck) who has been in the business for a long time.”

The entire field for the Restricted Grade 3 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity, with time and jockey, includes: Heza Hawkeye (17.752, German Rodriguez); Sydney Jack (17.903, Rolando Pina); Victory Beach (17.950, Rolando Pina); Beach Burner (17.959, Edger Diaz); Seven Beaches (17.973, L. Daniel Martinez); CM Eagle Run (17.995, Francisco Quintero); Sizzzling Heart (18.026, L. Daniel Martinez); A Flare For Politics (18.049, Eduardo Diaz); One Sweet Wagon (18.051, Fernando Morin); and Delrays Rollin Bayou (18.053, Eduardo Luna).

Tim Eggleston will saddle three for the final (Sydney Jack, Victory Beach, A Flare For Politics), along with three from the Tony Cunningham barn (Seven Beaches, CM Eagle Run, Sizzzling Heart). Raper will saddle two for the final (One Sweet Wagon, Delrays Rollin Bayou).

The QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity will join the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby on Quarter Horse Stakes Day featuring four stakes and purses in excess of $500,000.

Martha Claussen, nationally known Quarter Horse racing analyst will be trackside to support the program, which includes trials for the three Indiana races feeding into the Bank of America Challenge Championships, the Cox Ranch Distaff, John Deere Juvenile, and Adequan Derby.

Last year’s winner of the John Deere Juvenile trial at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Arbitro, trained by Claudio Barraza and owned by Campos Family Ventures, went on to win the Grade 2 $144,000 final at The Downs at Albuquerque.

First post Quarter Horse Stakes Day is set at 10:45 a.m.

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