PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 1, 2023) – Northern California Yearling Sale graduate Minister of Soul finally won the $65,000 KLAQ Handicap in his fourth try at Turf Paradise on Sunday.
Minister of Soul, who turned 9 on Sunday, is by Ministers Wild Cat, out of the Bernstein mare Sensitive Soul, was bred by Dahlberg Farms and is owned by trainer Esteban Martinez.
The $16,000 purchase at the Northern California Yearling Sale has 16 wins in 49 starts, earnings of $496,470 and was coming off a win in a Nov. 28 optional claimer as the 1-10 favorite. He was third in this race last year and fifth in 2019 and 2018.
He ran the five furlongs in :57.06 and won by 1 ¼ lengths at odds of 4-5 in a field of nine.