Dodacious beats heavy favorites to win G1 PSBA Derby
FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Dodacious beat out two heavy favorites to win the G1
PSBA Derby (Paint Stallion Breeders Association) on April 24 at Remington Park
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The two favorites, both with top speed indexes, were
expected to dominate the race. But, Dodacious kept them at bay a nd finished
strong to win, posting a time of 19.94 seconds for the 400-yard race. This was
the first stakes win for the gelding, earning him $18,666 with jockey Alberto
Candanosa in the irons.
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Dodacious wins the G1 PSBA Derby. Photo by Dustin Orona
photography.
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Trainer Dee
Keener knew he had a good shot at winning this race with his two entries,
Sayonara and Dodacious. Sayonara, who Keener owns and trains, was already stakes
placed with a 97 speed index and was the named favorite for the race. Sayonara
finished a close second behind Dodacious. The two horse’s dams are half-sisters.
The other favorite for the race, a speedy mare named A Real Surprise, finished
third behind Keener’s horses.
Dodacious is a 3-year-old sorrel gelding by Dos
Poruno and out of Audacious, by Judys Lineage. He is owned by Steven Wright of
Coweta, Oklahoma. Wright owns Builders Unlimited, a construction business in
Tulsa. This was Dodacious’ eighth race, with three wins and two third-place
finishes. His lifetime earnings are now $29,991.
"Dodacious didn’t have that
many outs last year due to being shin sore, but he’s coming along this year. He
really liked the distance of this race," said trainer Dee Keener. "We may even
nominate him to the Cowboy Hall of Fame Handicap and see how he does at the 440
distance. I was really happy for the owner (Steven Wright). He’s been with me
for about four years."
Second across the wire was Sayonara, who was the heavy
favorite. The mare is by Judys Lineage and out of Kiss This Goodbye, by Royal
Quick Flash. She was bred by Shari Burger of Jay, Oklahoma, and is owned and
trained by Dee Kenner of Inola, Oklahoma. She finished the race with a time of
19.97 seconds, earning $10,370 for the second-place finish, bringing her
lifetime earnings to $65,902. Both Dodacious and Sayonara will run next in the
OHA Derby and Speedhorse Derby.
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Connections of both horses trained by Dee Keener fill the win
circle at Remington Park after finishing 1st and 2nd in the PSBA Derby. Photo by Dustin Orona
photography.
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Finishing third was A Real Surprise, a bay
tobiano mare by Country Quick Dash and out of So Surprising, by Gulch (TB). She
crossed the wire with a time of 20.06 seconds, earning $6,222 for the
third-place finish, making her lifetime earnings $35,561. The mare was ridden by
Jimmy Brooks and is trained by Eddie Willis. She was bred and is owned by W. S.
Farrish of Versailles, Kentucky.
Other horses completing the race, along with
times, include I Do One Two Three (20.12 seconds), Hiclass Flash (20.17
seconds), SM Country Shamrock (20.25 seconds), Indians Quick Dash (20.38
seconds), IBA Goodun (20.43 seconds), Onlytreasureofmine (20.43 seconds) and
Azel D (20.54 seconds).
More about Paint Horse racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the
recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, it’s no wonder that Paints have become
one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.
Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made
major strides forward. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in
just two states—Texas and Oklahoma. In 2009, more than 540 starters competed in
more than 530 APHA-recognized races for record purses totaling more than $4.7
million.
A total of 17 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint
Horses also race in Canada.
"With a wealth of top performing Paint racehorses, dedicated owners and
talented trainers and jockeys, Paint Racing continues to remain a strong program
in the horse industry," said APHA Executive Director Lex Smurthwaite. "Paint
Racing enthusiasts recognized the amount of purse money available and have
jumped in to take advantage of the lucrative payouts."
For more information on Paint Horse racing, contact APHA’s racing department at
(817) 222-6444, email racing@apha.com, or
visit paintracing.com.