Heritage Place Oaks

A 31-1 longshot in a full field of 10 3-year-old fillies, Mrs KVN sprinted to a head victory in Saturday's $270,300 Heritage Place Oaks at Remington Park.

Mrs KVN went 400 yards in :19.487 to earn a 99 speed index and her first stakes win. Daniel Torres rode the gray daughter of KVN Corona for owner Thomas J. Scheckel of Bellevue, Illinois, and trainer Shawna Manriquez.

"It was close," said Torres, referring to a three-horse blanket finish at the wire. "She broke perfect, and I just stayed out of her way. She got the job done."

The seventh-fastest qualifier from five trials run May 14, Mrs KVN was bred in Utah by McColee Land and Livestock LLC, and the filly was purchased by Scheckel for $85,000 at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Mrs KVN was coming off of a juvenile campaign during which she banked $24,051 from seven races.

"She had a lot of ups and downs as a 2-year-old, but she kept getting better and better this year," said Fernando Manriquez, Shawna's husband and assistant trainer. "I thought we could light the board, but winning is great."

Mrs KVN is out of Little Surfer, a multiple stakes winning daughter of First Down Dash and a full sister to 2006 world champion Wave Carver. Raced in two states, including New Mexico, the filly has won two of 11 races and has banked $145,426.

Fastest qualifier and 13-10 favorite Proximity finished a close third, a neck behind Mrs KVN.

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