Valid Expectations Romps In Harrah's Entertainment Futurity Trials

BOSSIER CITY, LA—MARCH 1, 2016—Mercy Hinklin's Horse Farm, LLC's Valid Expectations romped a 3¼-length victory Tuesday in her first career start to set the top qualifying time for the Grade 3 $263,000 Harrah's Entertainment Futurity at Louisiana Downs.

The 10 fastest two-year-olds, from the 82 head who participated in nine trials on Tuesday, will return to the Northwest Louisiana racetrack Wednesday, March 23 to vie for the $118,350 winner's purse in the first "Open" futurity for two-year-olds of 2016.

Ridden by jockey Donald Watson, Valid Expectations broke alertly in the fourth race then rolled over the 300 yards in a quick :15.414 seconds with a 20 mph tailwind to earn the top qualifying mark of :15.414, a 95 speed index.

Leading trainer Kenneth Roberts, Sr. saddled the homebred daughter of leading Louisiana sire Jet Black Patriot. Valid Expectations was a $12,000 repurchase at the 2015 TQHA Yearling Sale in San Antonio.

The sorrel filly is out of the RG1 finalist Legendary Seis, by Tres Seis, who is the dam of three winners, three stakes qualifiers and one G3-placed from three starters. Valid Expectations half-sister, A Noble Jess Elie finished second in the 2013 Harrah's Entertainment Futurity(G3). Trainer Jorge Luis Barrera saddled the second and third fastest qualifiers for owners J F Racing and Farm, LLC.

Ardor, a colt by multiple stakes sire Ivory James, was equally impressive while posting a 3¼-length win in the third trial under jockey Luis Vivanco. The brown colt out of First Fervor, by First Down Dash, stopped the clock in :15.399 seconds, a 93 speed index with a 15 mph tailwind, for the second fastest clocking.

A $22,000 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale graduate, Ardor is a half-brother to G1-placed The Printing Press and stakes-placed Imadancinwiththestarts. His dam is a First Down Dash sister to champion First To Flash and stakes winner First To Shine. Ardor was the first of three qualifiers bred by Bobby D. Cox.

J F Racing & Farm LLC's second qualifier Mega Hero posted a 1¾-length win in Trail 7 to get the third fastest time of :15.630 seconds with a 15 mph tailwind.

Also ridden by Vivanco, Mega Hero is an $11,500 TQHA Sale graduate. JEH Stallion Station, Agent consigned the Jet Black Patriot colt for the aforementioned owner/breeder Mercy Hinklin's Horse Farm, LLC. Out of the Separatist mare Separatist In View, Mega Hero is a half-sister to TQHA Futurity winner Bedouin In View and Old South Futurity third place finisher Noblejesselie Inview.

Trainer Elpidio Luna, Jr. saddled Jeffs Knightmare to a 1¼-length win in the final trial for the fourth fastest time of :15.651 with a 15 mph tailwind. Jeff Caron and Paul Quintanilla own the son of Ab Knight from the Behold A Beduino mare Ebonys Child.

The sorrel gelding entered the trials off the fastest time posted on February 5th at Louisiana Downs during schooling races held for the Harrah's Futurity last month. Eddie Sanchez had the riding call.

Half the field qualified from the sixth trial when Marfilous, an Ivory James colt defeated Do It Again by half-a-length to get the fifth fastest time of :15.652 with a 15 mph tailwind.

Ivory James got three of the 10 finalists and Jet Black Patriot sired two.

For the complete list of Harrah's Entertainment Futurity(G3) finalists, their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.