Sunday’s $8,500 North Dakota Sunrise Futurity was a basket full of unknowns.  None in the field of seven had been stakes tested and only one of the contenders had ever finished in the money.  Two were first time starters and one had never worked or raced stateside.

 
But as the field hit the wire on Monday afternoon, the fuzzy picture became crystal clear as the filly Hemietta dominated the race winning by 8 1/2 and stamped herself as the queen of the crop going into the off-season.
 
The win also served as validation for owner/trainer Devron Leingang who took home a big one at the Horse Park for the first time in his career.  As a trainer for Scott Horst he had won Futurities and Derbies before but this was his first as an owner.  Four years back, Leingang chased Northrnimprovement in multiple stakes with his Firehawk but could only muster the runner-up spot behind Bill Maulding’s homebred.  Now in the freshman filly, Leingang has a solid contender with his name on it.
 
The daughter of Devon Lane had campaigned solely at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg and two off the board finishes was all she could add to her resume.  Her summer-long target, The North Dakota Futurity, slated for August 15^th was not held and the race in Fargo became the new goal.  Despite her defeats north of the boarder, she  learned lessons from facing better fields and it prepared her perfectly for the trials she was to face in Monday’s race. 
 
Breaking from the inside post, Hemietta shot to the lead and led by 2 ½ after the first call.  Jake Olesiak sat chilly in the saddle as she opened her lead to four lengths around the far turn.  Toying with the field as only an even-money favorite can, she continued on strongly in nearly an exhibition-style fashion and increased her lead to nearly nine by the wire.  A pair of Nelson family horses Leecha Mae (who faintly chased her throughout) was second, while Sargent O J finished third.   The five furlongs were covered in 1:03 1/5.
 
Leingang’s charge tallied $5,100 in victory and now becomes the leading contender for next summer’s North Dakota Derby.  Several in her crop were on the shelf so next summer could be lively as other colts, geldings, and fillies try to reach her level.
 
But that debate will have to wait for next year because on Monday, no one was on the same stage with Hemietta.