TRAINER DEE KEENER QUALIFIES FIVE TO FINALS OF SPEEDHORSE GRAHAM FUTURITY FINAL, INCLUDING THE FOUR FASTEST

The King of the Paints, trainer Dee Keener, proved once again why he has won more Paint/Appaloosa races than anyone in history as he qualified five of the 10 fastest horses to the finals of the Grade 1, $230,475 Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity. The world’s richest race for Paints and Appaloosas takes place on the final night of the Remington Park season, Saturday, June 1.

Keener’s dominance in these breeds is such that of his five finalist qualifiers, four of them had the fastest qualifying times of the day, with WF Jess Candy (Paint) leading the way at :17.738 for 350 yards.

These trials proved to be so tough that the winners of two previous futurities this meet involving one or both of these breeds, did not qualify – the Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity and the American Paint Classic Futurity. Wire Transfer, the winner of the first of those two futurities, was a pre-race scratch Saturday. Painted to Be Quick, the winner of the American Paint Classic, was the last horse out of the race to the finals, getting knocked out as the 11th-fastest for the Speedhorse Graham.

WF Jess Candy won the third of five trials on Saturday for a speed-index of 88 over the fast track. Keener’s top four were all within four speed index points of each other from 88 to 84. Interestingly enough, Keener’s five finalists all were qualified by a different jockey. All trials except the last were run into a 10-mph headwind. The fifth trial, the last one, was into a 9-mph headwind.

Jockey James Flores got a leg up from Keener on the fastest qualifier for owner Painted Faith Racing of Inola, Okla. This 2-year-old gelded son of PHQ Apollitical Jess, out of the Country Chicks Man (QH) mare SW Eye Candy, only made it to the winner’s circle for the second time in his career, but he broke his maiden in a stakes race earlier in the meet to show his class. WF Jess Candy won the Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Juvenile Stakes on March 23 with jockey Ricky Ramirez in the saddle.

WF Jess Candy (7-2) improved lifetime to five starts, two wins and one third for earnings of $26,643. Keener’s other four qualifiers were booted into the final by Rolando Raudales, Bryan Candanosa, Ali Rivera and Juan Pulido. No jockey qualified more than one horse to the finals.

WF Jess Candy was bred in Oklahoma by Steve Wright and Keener. This Paint’s sire was named the American Paint Horse Association’s Champion Aged Stallion.

The other five qualifiers for the final, not saddled by Keener, were all conditioned by separate trainers.

The top 10 qualifiers for the finals of the Graham Paint and Appaloosa Futurity were (with their jockey, trainer, trial number, times and speed index) were:

1) WF Jess Candy (Paint), James Flores, Dee Keener, trial three, :17.738, 88
2) PFR Road Rage (P), Rolando Raudales, Keener, trial five, :17.757, 87
3) OG Nikki Sixx (P), Bryan Candanosa, Dee Keener, trial three, :17.823, 85
4) Vesper Martini (P), Ali Rivera, Dee Keener, trial one, :17.869, 84
5) MH Cold Nights (P), Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis, trial five, :17.877, 84
6) Cowboy On the Fly (P), Gonzalo Gutierrez, Kasey Willis, trial five, :17.878, 84
7) Straightaway Turnpike (P), Jose Vega, Michelle Hurdle, trial three, :17.927, 82
8) Baileys N Blood (P), Francisco Calderon, Jed Vane, trial one, :17.929, 82
9) Cowgirl Chaos (Appaloosa), Juan Pulido, Dee Keener, trial three, :17.936, 82
10) PT Kaileigh (P), Daniel Torres, Matt Whitekiller, trial four, :17.952, 81

Remington Park racing continues Sunday, May 19, the first race is 4pm-Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $349 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 simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The Remington Park 2024 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues through June 1 with the biggest racing program of the season. The Champions Night boasts total purses in excess of $2,000,000, led by the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity. Parking and admission are always free. 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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