LIVEWIRES TURNPIKE MADE FAVORITE IN $153,000 AMERICAN PAINT CLASSIC FUTURITY AT REMINGTON PARK ON SATURDAY

Livewires Turnpike was easily the fastest qualifier during trials for Saturday’s Grade 1, $153,000 American Paint Classic Futurity and has been made the heavy favorite, at 8-5 odds, off that near track-record effort at Remington Park.

The American Paint Classic is a 330-yard event for 2-year-old Paints that qualified in the trials.

On April 8, Livewires Turnpike, a 2-year-old gelding by prolific sire CRM Livewire, out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon (QH) mare Wagon On Turnpike, was within 12-thousandths of a second of the track record for 330 yards in his trial. His time of :16:614 was good for a sizzling 96 speed index. The track record of :16.602 was set On April 24, 2014 by Ms Flashy Dancer.

The second-fastest trial time for the finals came from the second favorite The OSC Goldenboy at 4-1. His time was :16.965, 10 points lower in his speed index at 86, than that of Livewires Turnpike.

Livewires Turnpike won the first running of the $30,000 Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Juvenile Stakes on March 19 after he failed to make the finals of the Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity, running third in his career debut. He was tripped up in the early going of those trials and never had a chance, but showed promise, closing to get third. The American Paint Classic favorite won the Juvenile Stakes by 1-1/4 lengths and then won his trial for this race by 2-1/2 lengths. The juvenile gelding is owned by Bryan L. Hawk of Shawnee, Okla.

Trainer Ty Blackwell had jockey Cody Smith in the saddle in all three starts for Livewires Turnpike. A top-three rider in the jockey standings, Smith was injured last week in a gate incident when his mount reared before a race and broke a bone in an ankle. He has since had surgery on that ankle, having a pin inserted, and is shooting for a return to riding before the end of the meet. Blackwell gave the riding assignment on Livewires Turnpike to Remington Park’s second-leading jockey Francisco Calderon in Smith’s absence.

The OSC Goldenboy is owned by Almada Racing (Ovidio Sandoval) of San Antonio and trained by leading conditioner Santos Carrizales. Top jockey and last year’s riding title holder here Juan Pulido gets the call on The OSC Goldenboy, a 2-year-old gelded Paint also sired by CRM Livewire, out of the First Smart Money (QH) mare Chicks Lacerta. He was beaten only a half-length in the Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity by Signs of Livewire. OSC Goldenboy won his trial for the American Paint Classic under Pulido, his regular jockey.

Here is the field of 10 Paints with post position, horse, odds, jockey and trainer:
WL Van Halen, 12-1, Rodrigo Vallejo, Troy Carter
Turnpikes Peanut, 20-1, Fernando Fonseca-Soto, Ty Blackwell
RP Barracuda Dash, 15-1, Justine Klaiber, Ray Enlow
Memories of PYC, 5-1, Raul Valenzuela, Monty Arrossa
RP Dirty Barracuda, 15-1, Cody Wainscott, Ray Enlow
Hold My Beer, 8-1, Roman Cruz, Ray Enlow
Livewires Turnpike, 8-5, Francisco Calderon, Ty Blackwell
Secret Mystic Lady, 10-1, Bryan Candanosa, Gary K. Walker
U Know Im Kool, 12-1, James Flores, Michelle Hurdle
The OSC Goldenboy, 4-1, Juan Pulido, Santos Carrizales
Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $288 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 will feature the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity and the $250,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship on May 28. Simulcast horse is racing featured daily at Remington Park where the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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