Jose Maria Quintana Gets His First Grand Prix Victory at Blenheim Summer Classic
Jose Maria Quintana and Catoki Boy led the field from beginning to end in the $25,000 Blenheim Summer Classic Grand Prix, presented by Talacho’s Sales, marking Quintana’s very first grand prix victory.
“It’s a special day for me,” said Quintana, 20. “It’s my first grand prix win ever. It feels amazing. When you’re the first to go, you don’t have the chance to see all the riders, so I just followed my plan, and it worked out in the end.”
Quintana and his own Catoki Boy showed the way over the first-round course, and they were ultimately one of only four combinations to navigate the track without fault to advance to jump-off in the Oaks International Grand Prix Field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.
Jamie Sailor and Daytona, owned by Arwen Stables, were the next pair to contest the short course, and they came the closest to catching Edwards and Kalina, taking second place with a time of 36.603 seconds. Rounding out the top three with a time of 40.392 seconds were Amanda Tallman and her own Ibradento V.D. Valckenborg.
“Kalina is my little speed demon,” said Edwards of the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by her Mountain View West Farm LLC.
Edwards, who trains with Meadow Grove Farm, also finished in sixth place aboard Escapado S.
“Clearly, the odds looked like I was probably going to be the winner!” joked Edwards, who held the lead with Kalina when she and Escapado S entered the ring as the last pair to jump off. “I just wanted to give [Escapado S] a good ride out there, because I haven’t been showing a lot in the last few months.”
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