SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022) – It’s been a big month for owner Gordon Timm. Last week, his freshman sprinter Extermynator won the regional qualifier to advance to the $125,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) set for Saturday, Oct. 22 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Now, three-year-old filly Carter’s Law is two for two and will lead the finalists into the $100,000 Sterlie Bertram Memorial set for Challenge Championship Night as the fastest qualifier with a time of :19.783.
Carter’s Law, ridden by Juan Marquez, broke well and on top of the field in her trial, which was one of three on the card for 22 sophomores seeking to advance to the Bertram final. The grey filly dug in gamely from the start of the 400-yard dash and fended off a late charge by Mr Michel and Erik Esqueda in the final strides for the comfortable win by a half-length. Keens Blood Legacy and Jose Ruiz held her ground in the center of the track for third. Carter’s Law and Mr Michel are ranked first and second for times heading to the Bertram final.
Carter’s Law paid $4.80 for the win. The daughter of Carters Cartel is a homebred from Timm’s farm in Michigan. The Indiana bred filly is now four for six in her career under the conditioning of Horseshoe Indianapolis’ all-time leading Quarter Horse trainer Randy Smith.
The win also marked the second on the night for Marquez and Smith. With that win, Marquez tied the record for most wins in one season by a Quarter Horse jockey and now sits at 38 wins with two months left in the 2022 season. He is also less than $75,000 from earning the record for most purse earnings by a Quarter Horse jockey in one season at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
High Rolling Seize got back on the winning track for jockey Shanley Jackson and Trainer Matt Frazier. After winning the $132,000 Blue River Derby earlier this year, the son of Seize the Win has had some bad racing luck. A few changes have placed him back in the winner’s circle for his connections with the third fastest trial time of the night.
“He’s fallen on some bad luck this year,” said Frazier. We had a flipping halter on him, and he would stand in the gate and get bored and start looking sideways and he missed the break and was getting left. We pulled the flipping halter off and made a few more minor changes and it made a difference.”
High Rolling Seize broke from post five on top and never looked back. Jackson only tapped him one time during the trial to, “get his attention” and he rallied under the wire a winner in :19.929, a neck ahead of Leaving with Fire and Juan Marquez. Good Time Stoli and Giovani Vazquez Gomez finished third.
“He was feeling mighty good today,” said Jackson. “He was motivated today, and I had a hard time pulling him up.”
High Rolling Seize paid $7.20 for the win. He is owned by breeder Glenn Graff, who also campaigned his father, Seize the Win, also trained by Frazier and ridden by Jackson.
“I see a lot of similarities in this horse and his daddy,” said Jackson, who hopped a flight from Tallahassee, Fla. just before Hurricane Ian arrived from his winter job as a school bus driver. “His daddy was a lot more consistent as a two and three-year-old but they both have a lot of speed. It seems like the more he races, the better he gets.”
High Rolling Seize recorded his second win of 2022 and his sixth overall. He is nearing the $300,000 mark in earnings for his connections.
The other trial of the Bertram was won by Zommin Annie and Fernando Morin. Sweet Beach and German Rodriguez got the early advantage with Zommin Annie right beside the leader on the inside, tracking close the entire way. In the final strides, Zommin Annie got a neck ahead to score the win in :20.119. Motoring Molly and Francisco Quintero finished third.
Zommin Annie, trained by Ricardo Martinez, paid $10.80 for the win. The Jess Zoomin filly is owned by Abraham Favela. It was her second win in five tries for 2022.
The entire field for the Bertram Final, in order of time with jockey, includes: Carter’s Law (Juan Marquez, :19.783); Mr Michel (Erik Esqueda, :19.853); High Rolling Seize (Shanley Jackson, :19.929); Leaving with Fire (Juan Marquez, :19.966); Zommin Annie (Fernando Morin, :20.119); Sweet Beach (German Rodriguez, :20.148); Keens Blood Legacy (Jose Ruiz, :20.170); Bye Bye B Train (Francisco Quintero, :20.190); Motoring Molly (Francisco Quintero, :20.237); and Good Time Stoli (Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, :20.258). Randy Smith will saddle three for the final (Carter’s Law, Leaving with Fire, Sweet Beach) while Trainer Tony Cunningham saddles two (Bye Bye B Train, Motoring Molly).
Photos by Coady Photography
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