A breeder for the last 26 years, Michael Pohl of Canton, Texas, is now enjoying the fruits of the program he’s built. Already in 2006, Pohl-bred runners have dominated futurity fields and a pair of Corona Cartel colts could continue that success this weekend as Remington Park hosts the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) and Heritage Place Derby (G1).
On Sunday’s card at Remington, Ivory James, bred by Pohl and owned by Sylvia Shaw Pitman and Bobby Cox, brings the fastest qualifying time into the finals of the $677,000 Heritage Place Futurity (G1) .
Ivory James (Corona Cartel-Dashin Follies, Strawfly Special) is a full brother to 2005 Texas Classic Futurity (G1) winner and Heritage Place Derby finalist PYC Paint Your Wagon. The John Buchanan-trained Ivory James dominated his trial after a troubled start when he pulled away to a one-length victory in :17.54 for 350 yards.
Owned and bred by Pohl, PYC Paint Your Wagon shoots for his fourth straight victory and makes his 2006 stakes debut in the $167,777 Heritage Place Derby (G1).
Trained by Jack Brooks, PYC Paint Your Wagon (Corona Cartel-Dashin Follies, Strawfly Special) enjoyed success throughout his juvenile season, winning the Lazy E Futurity (RG2) in April, finishing second in the Rainbow Futurity (G1) in July and winning the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity (G1) in November.
Now an earner of $607,921, PYC Paint Your Wagon started his current three-race winning streak when he won his Texas Classic Futurity trial by 1 3/4-lengths in :19.80 going 400 yards. The colt went off at 3-1 in the Texas Classic Futurity and won by three-quarters of a length in :19.73. Brooks then gave the colt a winter’s rest and he responded in his first 2006 start with a dominating 2 1/4-length win in his Heritage Place Derby trial in :19.680, the second-fastest qualifying time.
Earlier this year, Okey Dokey Fantasy, an Okey Dokey Dale colt out of Pohl’s mare Fontanas Fantasy, by Lazbuddie, won the Longhorn Futurity (G2) and the Manor Downs Futurity (G1). He now heads to the $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity on June 11 as the second-fastest qualifier. With five wins in as many starts, he has earned $270,968 for owner Ariel Campos.
Pohl also bred the talented filly Vachetta (Corona Cartel – Dash Fast Girl by Heza Fast Man) who won the Kindergarten Futurity (G1) on May 20. Owned by Beltran Ranch, LLC, she too has an untarnished record with three wins from three tries and has earned $142,928.
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