It was another stellar performance by Mr Michel as he rallied home for the win in the ninth running of the $108,000 Leader of the Class Sale Futurity Wednesday at Indiana Grand.
Ridden by Erik Esqueda, the sorrel freshman is now three for five in his brief career.
Mr Michel (photo) is not known for his great starts, having encountered trouble in the past. But he had no trouble in the Leader of the Class Futurity. Esqueda got him rolling in the first few strides. Once he gets rolling, he’s hard to stop.
Delreys Wagon Train and L.D. Martinez were in good position early on along with Keens Blood Legacy and Jose Ruiz in the center of the track. Midway through the 350-yard dash, Mr Michel came powering up and went right on by for the lead and the eventual win by one and one-quarter lengths. Leaving With Fire and Berkley Packer closed quickly on the outside for second, just a nose ahead of Knockout Swing and Rolando Pina for third.
The time of the sprint was 17.872 seconds, a new stakes record.
Mr Michel is owned by Alberto Valadez and trained by Claudio Barraza. Mark Michel bred the Kiss My Hocks gelding, who was a $17,500 purchase from last year’s QHRAI Speed Sale in Indiana.
Esqueda is the youngest of three brothers currently riding in Indiana, joining Cristian and Cesar. Still in his teens, the youngest Esqueda is now two for two aboard Mr Michel. It was the first career Futurity win for the top 10 Quarter Horse jockey as he guided the gelding to the fastest time in the trials leading up to the final.
Mr Michel now has nearly $100,000 in purse earnings for his connections. Esqueda was excited for the win aboard the standout two-year-old.
“He broke super well,” said Esqueda. “He gained the lead pretty early and finished really strong. I want to thank his connections. A huge thank you for getting the opportunity to ride such a great horse.”
The stakes race is a precursor to the first-ever qualifiers for the AQHA Bank of America Challenge Championships set for Monday at Indiana Grand. Two regional qualifiers are set on the card with the John Deere Juvenile Challenge as Race 9 and the Q Racing Videos Distaff Challenge set as Race 10. Points for the finals will be awarded in the events.
The 2022 Bank of America Challenge Championships will be hosted by Indiana Grand.
