WINNER OF FEATURED ALLOWANCE SEEMED EXTREMELY APPROPRIATE AS VICTORY FOR VETS WINS DURING VETERANS DAY WEEK

It had to happen. Victory for Vets, appropriately enough, was the winner of Friday night’s featured allowance at Remington Park, just days after the Veterans Day holiday week.

It was a tough fight for Victory for Vets, a 4-year-old Texas-bred gelded son of Tapiture, from the Smart Strike mare Diamondinthestream. He was all out against King Russell in the stretch, who dug in down on the rail to give Victory for Vets a tussle.

However, King Russell, who finished second, was disqualified for interfering with a tiring Classic Cut with just over a furlong left in the one-mile race. King Russell came off the rail as Big Bernie was bearing in slightly and Classic Cut, between them, was squeezed back. Meanwhile, Victory for Vets, under jockey Jose Alvarez, took advantage of the fight for space to his inside and rolled outside of the fray, down the middle of the track to win.

After the disqualification, Presidential was pushed up from third to second and Big Bernie was moved up to third place. Creative Minister was the eventual fourth place finisher after being elevated due to King Russell getting disqualified from second and placed last behind Classic Cut, the recipient of the interference.

Alvarez, riding for trainer Bret Calhoun, allowed the front-running battle early on with three horses engaging on the lead – Classic Cut, King Russell and Big Bernie – as he sat back in sixth in the seven-horse field. He cut into the early fractions of :24.80 for the first quarter-mile, :48.47 for the half-mile, and 1:12.29 for six furlongs. By that time, Victory for Vets was making his move down the middle of the stretch. He hit the 7-furlong mark in 1:24.78 and won in 1:37.46 over the fast track.

Victory for Vets won the allowance for horses that had not won two races since May 14 or had not won four races lifetime. These were 3-year-olds and older. The winning margin was 1-1/4 lengths for Victory for Vets as the 2-1 wagering favorite with Creative Minister also going off at 2-1. Victory for Vets paid $6.20 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.60 to show.

Victory for Vets earned $25,064 for owner James Stodola of Denton, Texas and improved his career mark to 21 starts, eight wins, three seconds and three thirds with total earnings of $334,459. He was bred by AsmussenEquine.com. Originally, Victory for Vets was sold for $57,000 at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale of 2022, but was then pinhooked into the TTA 2-year-old in Training Sale and that’s when Stodola picked him up for $70,000, just $13,000 more than his original sale price.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Nov. 15 with the first race at 6pm-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $399 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 year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 Springboard Mile, a 2026 Kentucky Derby qualifying points race, takes place Saturday, Dec. 20, the final night of the Thoroughbred Season. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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