VALENTINES DAY HAS WINNING ON REPEAT AT REMINGTON PARK
For the third time in her last four starts, Valentines Day wound up in the winner’s circle, two of those times at Remington Park.
The 3-year-old filly by Summer Front, out of the Horse Chestnut (SAF) mare Castanea, came from off the pace in the one-mile turf race for second-level allowance for fillies and mares, three and older. Valentines Day passed her elders in late stretch to get the win in the feature race Wednesday night over the firm course.
The even-money wagering favorite, Alternative Slew, was getting into this race off a stakes win in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf for Oklahoma-breds, the second year in a row she had won that race. The best she could do Wednesday was third-place in open company.
Valentines Day, trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden to victory by Lindey Wade, had won on the grass at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana at 7-1/2 furlongs in an allowance non-winners of two race on Aug. 7 by 1-1/4 lengths. She then won in Oklahoma City last time out, racing one mile versus second-level allowance fillies and mares Oct. 7. That was also on the grass and her margin of victory was 2-1/2 lengths. On Wednesday night, she beat runner-up Brandons Babe (10-1) by 1-1/4 lengths for her second consecutive score in Oklahoma City.
Valentines Day, at 3-1 odds, paid $8.40 to win, $4.40 to place and $2.40 to show across the board. Brandons Babe was another half-length ahead of Alternative Slew.
The winning filly earned $18,249 from the $32,177 purse in the feature race and improved her record to 11 starts, four wins, two seconds and two thirds for $86,740. Nine of those starts have been on the lawn. She is owned by Love Partnership Interests of Richmond, Texas and was bred in Kentucky by Indian Creek.
Valentines Day broke fifth in the six-horse field and held her ground near the back through three-quarters of the race and finally pounced in the stretch moving past front-runners to the wire. Hawaiian Typhoon set early fractions of :23.67 for the first quarter-mile and :47.47 for the half-mile. Alternative Slew took control and hit the three-quarters mark in front at 1:11.02 and was still in front after seven furlongs in 1:23.29. The winning time for the mile was 1:36.09.
Remington Park racing continues Thursday thru Saturday, Nov. 5-7, with the first event nightly at 7:07pm-Central.
Tracked by more than 164,000 fans on Facebook and 10,500 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $250 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 open daily for casino gaming and simulcast horse racing. The 2020 Thoroughbred Season features the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, simulcast from Keeneland, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 & 7. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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