SIGNS OF LIVEWIRE DRAWS RAIL AS 3-1 LUKEWARM FAVORITE FOR THE OKLAHOMA PAINT & APPALOOSA FUTURITY AT REMINGTON PARK
Four trainers – Dee Keener, Santos Carrizales, Kasey Willis and Ty Blackwell qualified two horses apiece for Saturday night’s finals of the Grade 1, $231,600 Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity at Remington Park, but it was Keener’s Signs of Livewire that was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite.
In the trials on March 4, jockey Jesus Salazar was in the saddle for Keener aboard the fastest qualifier, Signs of Livewire, who stopped the timer for 300 yards in :15.679 over a fast track. The 2-year-old Paint colt by CRM Livewire, out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon (QH) mare Signs of PYC (QH), finished a neck ahead of The OSC Goldenboy at the wire in that trial.
Jeff Adams of Durant, Okla., is the owner of Signs of Livewire who is showing the same kind of talent his sire had. CRM Livewire won 8-of-22 career starts and is a prominent stallion among the Paint breed. He stands at Westwin Farm in Purcell, Okla. Signs of Livewire was a training race winner here on Feb. 9 and beat seven others that day. He then won his trial, his official career debut . Keener is the all-time winningest trainer for the Paint horse breed.
Signs of Livewire produced an 82 speed index in the trials, OSC Goldenboy an 81 and then the closest next qualifier to those two was Salt Wire with a 75. Keener also has the eighth-fastest qualifier in Turnpikers Eagle. The other three trainers with two qualifiers were Carrizales (second fastest and fourth), Kasey Willis (third and 10th), and Ty Blackwell (seventh and ninth).
The final two qualifiers are trained by 12-time training title winner here, Eddie Willis, and Hernesto Ramirez.
The field for the Grade 1, $231,600 Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity on Saturday with post position, horse, odds, jockey, trainer:
Signs of Livewire, 3-1, Jesus Salazar, Dee Keener
Shouldahadthewhiskey, 6-1, Francisco Calderon, Santos Carrizales, Jr.
Turnpikers Eagle, 20-1, Josh Romero, Dee Keener
Salt Wire, 5-1, James Flores, Kasey Willis
Electric Tales, 8-1, Cody Smith, Ty Blackwell
Wagon N Treasure, 12-1, Fernando Fonseca-Soto, Ty Blackwell
Zazas Island Girl, 10-1, Cody Wainscott, Kasey Willis
Wired Hot Bentley, 8-1, Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis
The OSC Goldenboy, 4-1, Juan Pulido, Santos Carrizales, Jr.
Cowgirl Cartel, 15-1, Armando Ramirez, Hernesto Ramirez
The entire field of 10 represents the Paint breed as no Appaloosas managed to make the final.
The Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity is the eighth race of 12 on Saturday. The program for the night is the richest of the young season with total purses exceeding $1.2 million.
Remington Park racing continues Friday and Saturday, March 18 & 19 with the first race at 6pm. Sunday, March 20 racing gets underway at 4pm. All times are Central.
Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $286 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 is the home of the historic Oklahoma Futurity on March 19. Simulcast horse racing featured daily, the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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