News - Racing March  28, 2024

Fastest Qualifier Cartels Courage Prevails In $51,100 Turf Paradise Maiden Stake Final


Cartels Courage (inside) holds off Bh Free Drop Billy (#3) and Rbdocsbestbet (#10) in the $51,100 Turf Paradise Maiden Stake (not black type) Thursday afternoon at Turf Paradise Racecourse.

© Coady Photography

PHOENIX, AZ—JANUARY 27, 2022—Bumped at the start, fastest qualifier Cartels Courage quickly took the lead and then held off Bh Free Drop Billy by a head in the $51,100 Turf Paradise Maiden Stake (not black type) Thursday afternoon at Turf Paradise Racecourse.

Rbdocsbestbet was a neck back to take third in a blanket finish by the top four-horses.

Under jockey Jacob Enriquez, Cartels Courage completed the 330 yards in :16.914 seconds, equaling a 101 speed index. It was third career win for the son of multiple stakes sire Coronado Cartel and the $30,732 winner's purse boosted the Oklahoma-bred geldings earning to $54,229.

Jesus Carrete trains Cartels Courage for owner Hector O'Campo. Flag Ranch LLC bred the sorrel gelding from the Captain Courage mare Tinys Courage.

The winning connections of Cartels Courage accept the Turf Paradise Maiden Stake trophy Thursday afternoon at Turf Paradise Racetrack. © Coady Photography
Runner-up Bh Free Drop Billy, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Bh Lisas Boy, earned $9,913 for second.

Winless in 10 starts, the son of multiple stakes sire Bodacious Dash has placed or shown seven times and earned $25,140 for owner Jose Aguilar Mendoza. Trainer Eloy Navarro named Mark Jasso to ride the Oregon-bred gelding out of Apollo Snowbound by Snowbound(TB). Bill C. Hoburg is the breeder.

Also winless in five starts, third-place finisher Rbdocsbestbet picked up $4,957 for owner Juan Cesar Torres-Casas. Jockey Kevin Carbajal had the riding assignment for trainer Amy Nelson. Bred in California by Rick Beck, Rbdocsbestbet is a gelded son of third-crop sire Docs Best Card from the Dash Ta Fame mare Samia.

Texassizedbizooms, Swype Right, Shoulder The Load, Itsjustamatteroftime and Pretty Lethal Eagle completed the field. Earthquake McGoon and Tresponte were scratched.

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Racing resumes at Turf Paradise on Friday (Jan 28) with another 8-Race card. First post is set for 12:35 p.m. (MST).

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With more than 50 off-track-bettting locations across Arizona and Turf Paradise able to be wagered on many platforms across the country, Turf Paradise will be increasing its social media presence and interaction with fans on their Facebook page and Twitter account. (@turf_paradise). The track's Grand Canyon Pick-6 jackpot wager will begin with a pool of $28,009.06, which will be carried over from the end of the 2019-20 season.


Courtesy Ses