Relentless Robin takes Derby; Relentless Rocket wins Futurity
Owner Tom Maher, trainer Jason Olmstead and jockey Ramiro Garcia teamed up to win the $80,400 Northlands Futurity with Relentless Rocket and the $50,075 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby with Relentless Robin on Thursday at Canterbury Park. The Futurity winner paid $3.60, winning the richest race of the Canterbury Park season by 1 3/4 lengths while the Derby winner paid $5.80 winning the 400 yard race by one-half length. Each was the wagering favorite.
Garcia had to make choices of which horses to ride in each race as he qualified two for the Futurity and the Derby. In the Derby he chose the eventual winner Relentless Robin over the fastest qualifier Shes Sumoke Stacked who finished sixth. “That was a hard decision honestly,” Garcia said. “They both really tried but, I don’t know, I felt this one had more juice to the end so I just stayed with her and thank god I did.”
Relentlessly Fast, who won the Northlands Futurity last year, finished second in the Derby. He also is owned by Maher and is trained by Tyler Stein. Sugar Rushh was third for Olmstead.
The 2-year-old Relentless Rocket’s victory was the fourth Northlands Futurity win for Olmstead. Curlie D finished second after Southurn Eagle was disqualified from second to fifth. Both are Olmstead trainees. Third in the Futurity was Swimsuit Model trained by Stein. Garica again chose correctly taking the winner who was the fastest qualifier over Curlie D who also won her trial to qualify for the final. Relentless Rocket has now won three races in five starts.
“I think the distance helped him,” Garcia said, “and his mind is calming down a lot.”
Both the Futurity and Derby winners were bred by Maher and his brother Bill Maher. Relentless Rocket was bred in South Dakota and Relentless Robin in Oklahoma. Both are sired by Hes
Relentless.
Stein did not leave empty handed. He won the final race on the eight-race card, the $15,000 Northlands Juvenile, with I D Claire. Jorge Torres rode the winner who paid $7.00 for owner Tom Maher.
Total handle was $896,864.65.
