DONTCALLITACOMEBAK WINS BY DAYLIGHT IN IMPRESSIVE CAREER DEBUT FOR OWNERS L AND N RACING, ULLERY BLOODSTOCK

It was her first official race, but the filly Dontcallitacomebak acted like a veteran, battling with early front-runners and then with a burst of speed drew away in her field of 12 to blow them away by eight lengths Thursday night at Remington Park.

The purchase price of $23,000 by L and N Racing (Lee and Mike Levinson) of Tulsa, Okla., and Ullery Bloodstock (Jesse Ullery) appears it may be a bargain price that turns into champagne and celebrations. They bought this 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Echo Town, out of the Birdstone mare Littlestone from the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale of 2022. Dontcallitacomebak was bred in Oklahoma by Matthew Cody McCart and David Matthew Wilkett.

Jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr., was aboard as part of a riding triple Thursday night, but this win with Dontcallitacomebak was by far the ride of the night. Wethey put her on the lead early and made every poll a winning one. Trained by Scott Young, Dontcallitacomebak put up a running time of 1:04.73 with interior fractions of :22.16 for the first quarter-mile, :46.21 for the half-mile and :58.23 for five eighths of a mile.

The race was a maiden special weight race for Oklahoma-breds fillies and one mare 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds going 5-1/2 furlongs over a main fast track. The lone mare in the race at age 5, was Shesabitsnakey while the rest of the field were 3-year-old fillies.

“Jesse picked her out at the sale and gave us a call,” said Mike Levinson. “We owned her sire Echo Town and he was our first graded stakes winner, so we are always looking for anything from him and she was Okie-bred. Running for $130,000 purse in the Oklahoma Classics is certainly an incentive. We will see what (trainer) Scott (Young) says in the morning and maybe we will make a trip over on Classics Night (Oct. 17).”

Dontcallitacomebak was ignored on the toteboard at 11-1 odds despite her bloodlines, workouts and classy connections. Echo Town was a special horse, winning the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga in upstate New York on Aug. 1, 2020 that led to an appearance in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 7, 2020 that concluded his career. Echo Town, whose first-time starters have won at an admirable 19-percent rate, ran 10 times, winning four, running second twice and third twice for a total bankroll of $410,020. On the bottom side of Dontcallitacomebak is Birdstone, who won the Grade 1 2004 Belmont Stakes, upsetting Smarty Jones’ chances at a Triple Crown. Birdstone also won the Grade 1 Travers that year.

Ullery did get to see Dontcallitacomebak win impressively and was excited to see it.

“I was watching on television from my bedroom in Lexington (Ky.),” Ullery said. “When I found her, Mike was pumped about her being an Okie-bred. I’m really just a minority owner.”

Not only did Dontcallitacomebak gain no support from bettors, but neither did the fillies that finished behind her in second and third. Lucked Out (34-1) picked up the pieces, checking in second and was a nose ahead of another bomb, Eurpurdy (58-1) who was third. Dontcallitacomebak paid $25.40 to win, $13.20 to place and $9.20 to show. The prices in the exotics had eyeballs bugging out. The $2 exacta (2-3) was worth $365, the 50-cent trifecta (2-3-1) paid $1,150.65 and even with the 5-2 favorite, Luck is a Lady, finishing fourth, the 10-cent superfecta (2-3-1-6) still returned $1,270.50.

Wethey Triple
Dontcallitacomebak was the most impressive win of the night for Wethey and was the middle victory of a riding triple. He started his hat trick in race three with Methods ($3) for Judge Lanier Racing and H.P. Drought and Company of Fort Sumner, N.M. and trainer Dick Cappellucci.

The final win for the Wethey came in allowance company in the eighth race aboard Ze’bul ($5.80) for Centurion Racing Partners of Azle, Texas and once again with Cappellucci as the trainer.

Wethey now has 20 wins on the season and is fourth in the jockey standings. Ramon Vazquez picked up two more wins Thursday to move his leading total to 41. Stewart Elliott is second with 27 victories and David Cabrera is third with 21.

Remington Park racing continues Friday through Sunday, Oct. 3-5. The first race nightly is 6pm, except for Sunday when action begins at 2pm. All times are Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $390 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 Oklahoma Classics Night of stakes racing for top Oklahoma-breds is Friday, Oct. 17. The Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 20. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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