Painted Turnpike

One of the all-time greatest Paint racehorses, Painted Turnpike is the all-time leader in wins for an American Quarter Horse, Paint or Appaloosa at Remington Park with 13. Painted Turnpike also compiled a 14-race winning streak that started in 2016 and came to an end in 2018, while racing at Remington Park, Fair Meadows Tulsa and Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.

A three-time World Champion in the Paint-racing ranks, Painted Turnpike had Remington Park winning streaks of seven (2015-2016) and six (2016-2018) to amass his local scores. He won 11 stakes races at Remington Park for his owner and breeder Nolan Pevehouse of Webbers Falls, Okla., and trainer Matt Whitekiller.

Painted Turnpike concluded his career in 2020 after running third in the Paul Harber Memorial at Remington Park. Overall, he won 26 of 31 races with three seconds and one third-place effort. At Remington Park, Painted Turnpike was out of the money only once, with 13 wins, one second and one third from 16 attempts. He finished racing with $465,442 in career earnings, the all-time record for a Paint. Jockey Cody Smith was the only jockey to ever ride Painted Turnpike.

The son of PYC Paint Your Wagon, from the SF Royal Quick Flash mare High Class Turnpike, had a stellar career, broken down by year:

2015 – eight wins in nine starts for $231,473 for his most lucrative year
2016 – six wins in eight starts for $85,558 earned
2017 – six trips to the winner’s circle in six tries for a bankroll of $68,214
2018 – six victories in six races for $77,100

He had only two more starts the rest of his career, one in 2019 and one in 2020, both in the Paul Harber Memorial at Remington Park. He finished fourth in the 2019 edition, then third in his final career attempt in the 2020 running.

Painted Turnpike made history when he surpassed Got Country Grip as the all-time winningest Paint horse by earnings in 2017. He earned $8,460 by winning the Lewis Wartchow Paint & Appaloosa Stakes at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Okla., and that boosted him to $363,872, just past Got Country Grip’s $361,881.

Painted Turnpike also became the first Paint to ever win the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown in 2015, which included wins from three tracks, including Remington Park’s Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity, the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity at Fair Meadows, and Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Painted Turnpike made history when he won for the 11th time at Remington Park on April 13, 2018 when he won the Paul Harber Memorial. That broke the tie he had held with Country Chicks Man at 10 apiece, for most local wins in the spring sprint season.

Among Painted Turnpike’s stakes wins at Remington Park were two trips to the winner’s circle in the Paul Harber Memorial in 2016 and 2018 and back-to-back victories in the Mister Lewie Memorial in 2017 and 2018.

“He’s a wonder horse,” Whitekiller said of training this world champion. “It’s a blessing. This horse is like no other that I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a few pretty good ones. This horse is just stupid good and so professional about everything.”

Painted Turnpike moved on to become a brilliant stallion and became the first Paint to stand at WestWin Farms in Purcell, Okla. after his racing retirement.