FAMILY TIME WINS FEATURED ALLOWANCE RACE FOR COUNTRY BRO STABLES, TRAINER FEDERICO VILLAFRANCO, JOCKEY WESTON HAMILTON

Family Time said, “How Do You Like Me Now?” to her co-owners Toby Keith and Danny Caldwell of Country Bro Stables on Saturday night, winning the featured turf allowance at Remington Park.

The 4-year-old filly by Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway), out of the Rockport Harbor mare Royale Harbor, came charging down the stretch from the middle of the pack in the second-level allowance race and blew past them at the end for a 2-3/4 lengths victory at 5-1 odds.

Country Bro Stables had high hopes for Family Time as they claimed her for $40,000 at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Sept. 21 when she ran second for former trainer Dale Romans. The new owners gave her three weeks off and then brought her to her first race at Remington Park on Oct. 14. The filly’s first try over the main track at one mile was less than stellar, running fifth, beaten 6-3/4 lengths for the same allowance conditions under which she ran Saturday night. The connections moved her to the turf course and it was the medicine she needed at the same distance.

Jockey Weston Hamilton put Family Time in mid-pack down the backstretch and asked her for her best as they turned for home. She made the lead with a furlong to go passing front-runners Silverscape and Street Tapper and held off the other closer, Optimistic Cowgirl for the victory.

Family Time got about half of the claim money back for her owners with the $21,627 she earned from Saturday’s $36,300 purse. The way she won so easily won on the turf, it likely won’t be long before they see a profit with her.

Family Time paid $12 to win, $6.40 to place and $4 to show and covered the mile in 1:38.79. She cut into early fractions of :23.23 for the first quarter-mile, :48.09 for the half-mile, 1:13.27 for three-quarters of a mile and 1:26.14 for seven furlongs. Optimistic Cowgirl (3-1) was seventh, just behind the winner, when they both made their moves. That filly checked in second and Silverscape (2-1 betting favorite) faded to third, another neck back after setting the pace early.

Family Time was bred in Kentucky by Jeff, Teresa and Marilyn Little.

Classetoga Cashes
Saturday night at Remington Park was also highlighted by a huge payoff in the sixth race when Classetoga won a claiming race at 46-1 odds. That 3-year-old gelding won for the second time in a row but his last race was the first win of his career after 11 tries. He won his second in the 12th try, so it appears he has figured it out. Classetoga paid $95 to win on a $2 ticket, $19.40 to place, $12.40 to show and keyed some huge exotic payoffs. The 10-cent superfecta combination of 8-3-2-6 was worth $1,048.73 to backers. Another $1,000-plus payoff involving Classetoga was the 50-cent Pick 3 that started with Classetoga and ended with the eighth race. The payout there was $1,599.90. Apparently there were far more wagers on the late Pick 4, adding the ninth race, because it oddly paid less than that Pick 3. It was a $960.55 payout.

Classetoga was ridden to victory by Carlos Montalvo, is trained by Alex Baldillez, Jr., and owned by Arturo Arellano, Jr., of Premont, Texas.

Live racing at Remington Park continues next week with a new schedule for the rest of November. The live racing schedule will be Monday and Tuesday beginning at 2:30 p.m. The three weeks with Monday and Tuesday racing are Nov. 7-8, Nov. 14-15 and Nov. 21-22. The weeks with Monday and Tuesday racing will also feature racing on Friday and Saturday nights at their regular 7:07 p.m. first post. All times are Central.

Tracked by more than 171,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $304 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 features the $400,000 Springboard Mile, our top 2-year-old race on the final night of the season on Saturday, December 17. Remington Park also presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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