AJ Prince easily wins the featured 440-yard allowance race on Friday at Remington Park. Ali Rivera, the leading jockey this season, had the mount.
© Dustin Orona Photography
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—APRIL 26, 2024–Leading rider Ali Rivera put AJ Prince on the lead right out of the gate in the 440-yard allowance feature Friday night and cruised home for the gelding’s second win in a row at the distance.
AJ Prince, a 4-year-old gelded son of Apollitical Jess, out of the Fishers Dash mare Taka Puna, had previously won at 440 yards the last time he tried it on a muddy track at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Nov. 10, 2023.
When trainer James “JJ” Gonzalez III sent him from Lone Star to Sunland Park in New Mexico, the gelding couldn’t manage a win at 400 yards or 350. He appreciated the return to the true quarter-mile distance on Friday and was an easy winner by one full length.
The winner was sent off at 9-2 odds and returned $11.40 to win, $4.40 to place and $2.80 to show. AJ Prince’s running time was :21.907 on the fast track for a speed-index of 92. He defeated the post-time favorite, CR Barak (3-2 favorite), who checked in second, a neck ahead of third-place finisher My Sweet Jess (3-1).
Owner Billy Tarango of Pecos, Texas, pocketed $17,667 from the $27,425 purse and AJ Prince improved his lifetime running line to 18 starts, three wins, two seconds, and three thirds for $60,529. The race was for 3-year-olds-and-up who had not won three races lifetime.
It was Rivera’s second win of the night to put him back into first in the jockeys’ race. Roman Cruz, who also won two, had moved into a tie with Rivera before the final race. Rivera now has 25 wins for the meet to Cruz’s 24. Jockey Francisco Calderon also had a win on the night and stayed in third place with 22 trips to the winner’s circle.
AJ Prince was bred in Oklahoma by Rancho El Cabresto.
For additional information on breeding, contact Royal Vista Ranch Farm Manager—Laura Erickson—at (405) 449-7575.
Story and images courtesy of Stallion E Search.