ANNA BELLE WINS FIRST STAKES OF HER CAREER IN FL LADY BUG STAKES AT REMINGTON PARK
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 25, 2024 – Sometimes it can be a wonderful thing when one listens to his instincts. It worked for horse owner Tom Smith as he watched Anna Belle win the first stakes race of her career in the $70,000 FL Lady Bugs Stakes on Saturday night at Remington Park.
Tom and Lou Ann Smith of Barnsdall, Okla., saw this 2-year-old filly at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale last year in New Mexico and he said he just had a hunch. So, he laid out $22,000 for her at the sale and she won $39,000 Saturday from her first stakes purse. Anna Belle has now won two of three starts and finished second in her other one for a bankroll of $56,051.
Trainer Jason Olmstead sent Anna Belle out with Jorge Torres in the saddle for the first time and she paid dividends with her big run, winning the 350-yard race by a head. Anna Belle is a juvenile daughter of Uncle D, out of the One Famous Eagle mare Maghelene, and Tom Smith liked everything about that. Olmstead had trained Maghelene in her race career and Smith loved the fact she was a part of Uncle D’s first crop of racehorses. Uncle D had run second in the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity in 2019 and then went on to win the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.
“I spotted her in the (sale) book and there was just something about her,” Smith said. “I’m new at this game as an owner, but we are blessed and we’re just having fun.”
Anna Belle (7-2) stopped the timer in :18.016 for an 80 speed-index on the fast track. It was the first win in this stakes series for all connections. She was bred in Oklahoma by Bollenbach Farms.
Torres said he wasn’t totally unfamiliar with Anna Belle despite getting on her back for the first time in an official race.
“I had seen her before,” said Torres. “I was around her a lot after she got broke. I had been on her before (she began racing). She was incredible tonight. She just kept going.”
Losing the heartbreak photo in second was Coronita KO (7-2) with jockey Edwin Escobedo in the saddle for trainer Leo Alcala. Escobedo had ridden Anna Belle in her previous two starts. Jessa Corona Peach (31-1) checked in third for a nice $208.45 trifecta on a 50-cent wager. Anna Belle returned to her backers $9.40 to win, $2.60 to place and $3.40 to show.
The rest of the order of finish for the FL Lady Bug Stakes was Ruth D (9-1) fourth, Thereturnofthecartel (3-1 favorite) fifth, Brisa de Mar (6-1) sixth, Flying Nova 123 (4-1) seventh, Miss Patricia (38-1) eighth, BV She Can Fly (31-1) ninth and Im That Lucky Penny (27-1) 10th.
The FL Lady Bug Stakes is for 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred fillies. FL Lady Bug was a prominent broodmare and American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame inductee. She was owned by Hall of Fame owners and breeders Marvin and Lela Barnes of Ada, Okla.
•••••
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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The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission has discontinued processing award deductions for the transfer of ownership on OK Bred registered horses. You will need to submit your Transfer of Ownership application, W-9 (these are required annually), with a check, money order, or completed credit card authorization form, as well as a copy of the horse’s breed registration certificate, to update our records and have the award released.
You have one year from the date of the race to collect your award.
You can send your documents or any questions to the OKB Registry Department at OKBRED@OHRC.OK.GOV. ... ’Expand’See Less
In partnership with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA), all Oklahoma racetracks—Remington Park, Fair Meadows at Tulsa, and Will Rogers Downs—have announced expanded hair testing measures for the 2026 Quarter Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa race meets. While pre-entry hair testing has been a condition of entry since 2018, the updated policy builds on that foundation by introducing new layers of accountability and a unified approach across all tracks.
“We are expanding our integrity efforts and working to hold everyone accountable for the horses in their care,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “This is a collective effort among all Oklahoma tracks to protect the integrity of the sport and the welfare of the horse.”
The 2026 updates include a new provision that will exclude any trainer from participating at Oklahoma tracks for the remainder of a meet if three or more horses in their care test positive through official pre-entry hair tests for any prohibited substance. In addition, any owner with three or more positive tests during the meet will also be deemed ineligible to participate for the remainder of that meet.
Another upgrade to the policy is the expansion of unofficial testing. This informational hair-testing option will be available beginning with the fall yearling sales. These test kits can be requested through OQHRA. The hair samples can be collected by the owner or trainer and submitted to the lab for testing; results of these unofficial tests will not be considered official for entry purposes, but they will allow owners or trainers who have acquired horses from other barns to voluntarily test them in advance of entry to ensure they are clear of prohibited substances. It offers peace of mind, particularly before making financial commitments such as nomination fees, training investments, or early race preparations. It is important to note that many Sale Companies offer hair testing as a buyer protection within 24 hours of the sale; buyers are encouraged to contact the sales companies about the options available.
“Integrity is the backbone of everything we do,” said Matt Vance, Executive Vice President at Remington Park. “These policies help preserve the integrity of the sport by holding those who choose not to play by the rules accountable. We are proud to work with other Oklahoma tracks and OQHRA to lead the way in promoting fair competition in Quarter Horse racing.”
The core hair testing requirement remains in place: every Quarter Horse, Paint, or Appaloosa must submit to a one-time, pre-entry hair test before starting at any Oklahoma track. Official test results are sent directly to the racetrack, and positive results will lead to exclusion for the duration of that meet. These exclusions are track-specific only and do not constitute regulatory suspensions; participants remain eligible at other tracks unless a separate jurisdiction elects to take action. All horses with official positive tests will be listed publicly at www.OQHRA.com, and test results may be shared with other jurisdictions upon request.
To make the process easier for horsemen, farm visits for hair testing will be available in January and early February for Oklahoma-based trainers with 40 or more horses.
All details of the 2026 hair testing policy, including the unofficial testing option, are available at www.OQHRA.com or by calling (405) 881-5120. ... ’Expand’See Less
Won't matter Justin is so far ahead of the tracks, everyone knows you can't win a big race without the JRJ.
Thank you,
However we have got to get the results back presale from these yearlings sales at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino select sale and the New Mexico bred.
The Texas Quarter Horse sale needs it as well.
Oklahoma QHRA should at least mandate that the horse that are breeders and fitters are marketing for it be tested pre sale date with the horse .
Think of how Heritage Place would not want any part of a horse owner wanting his money back on a horse he bought from similar to large sale horse provider like the Flag Ranches size.
He would have to choose to do the right thing and force the return of the large ranch for illegal substances.
If we could get one sale barn to step up and require this
, we would owe it to them to get the others to follow suit to with the presale testing.
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ANNA BELLE WINS FIRST STAKES OF HER CAREER IN FL LADY BUG STAKES AT REMINGTON PARK
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – May 25, 2024 – Sometimes it can be a wonderful thing when one listens to his instincts. It worked for horse owner Tom Smith as he watched Anna Belle win the first stakes race of her career in the $70,000 FL Lady Bugs Stakes on Saturday night at Remington Park.
Tom and Lou Ann Smith of Barnsdall, Okla., saw this 2-year-old filly at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale last year in New Mexico and he said he just had a hunch. So, he laid out $22,000 for her at the sale and she won $39,000 Saturday from her first stakes purse. Anna Belle has now won two of three starts and finished second in her other one for a bankroll of $56,051.
Trainer Jason Olmstead sent Anna Belle out with Jorge Torres in the saddle for the first time and she paid dividends with her big run, winning the 350-yard race by a head. Anna Belle is a juvenile daughter of Uncle D, out of the One Famous Eagle mare Maghelene, and Tom Smith liked everything about that. Olmstead had trained Maghelene in her race career and Smith loved the fact she was a part of Uncle D’s first crop of racehorses. Uncle D had run second in the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity in 2019 and then went on to win the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.
“I spotted her in the (sale) book and there was just something about her,” Smith said. “I’m new at this game as an owner, but we are blessed and we’re just having fun.”
Anna Belle (7-2) stopped the timer in :18.016 for an 80 speed-index on the fast track. It was the first win in this stakes series for all connections. She was bred in Oklahoma by Bollenbach Farms.
Torres said he wasn’t totally unfamiliar with Anna Belle despite getting on her back for the first time in an official race.
“I had seen her before,” said Torres. “I was around her a lot after she got broke. I had been on her before (she began racing). She was incredible tonight. She just kept going.”
Losing the heartbreak photo in second was Coronita KO (7-2) with jockey Edwin Escobedo in the saddle for trainer Leo Alcala. Escobedo had ridden Anna Belle in her previous two starts. Jessa Corona Peach (31-1) checked in third for a nice $208.45 trifecta on a 50-cent wager. Anna Belle returned to her backers $9.40 to win, $2.60 to place and $3.40 to show.
The rest of the order of finish for the FL Lady Bug Stakes was Ruth D (9-1) fourth, Thereturnofthecartel (3-1 favorite) fifth, Brisa de Mar (6-1) sixth, Flying Nova 123 (4-1) seventh, Miss Patricia (38-1) eighth, BV She Can Fly (31-1) ninth and Im That Lucky Penny (27-1) 10th.
The FL Lady Bug Stakes is for 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred fillies. FL Lady Bug was a prominent broodmare and American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame inductee. She was owned by Hall of Fame owners and breeders Marvin and Lela Barnes of Ada, Okla.
•••••
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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Wednesday, July 16: bit.ly/FMT-071625
*(𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝟷 & 𝟸 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜)*
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14 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission has discontinued processing award deductions for the transfer of ownership on OK Bred registered horses. You will need to submit your Transfer of Ownership application, W-9 (these are required annually), with a check, money order, or completed credit card authorization form, as well as a copy of the horse’s breed registration certificate, to update our records and have the award released.
You have one year from the date of the race to collect your award.
You can send your documents or any questions to the OKB Registry Department at OKBRED@OHRC.OK.GOV. ... ’Expand’See Less
20 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫-𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲
In partnership with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA), all Oklahoma racetracks—Remington Park, Fair Meadows at Tulsa, and Will Rogers Downs—have announced expanded hair testing measures for the 2026 Quarter Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa race meets. While pre-entry hair testing has been a condition of entry since 2018, the updated policy builds on that foundation by introducing new layers of accountability and a unified approach across all tracks.
“We are expanding our integrity efforts and working to hold everyone accountable for the horses in their care,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “This is a collective effort among all Oklahoma tracks to protect the integrity of the sport and the welfare of the horse.”
The 2026 updates include a new provision that will exclude any trainer from participating at Oklahoma tracks for the remainder of a meet if three or more horses in their care test positive through official pre-entry hair tests for any prohibited substance. In addition, any owner with three or more positive tests during the meet will also be deemed ineligible to participate for the remainder of that meet.
Another upgrade to the policy is the expansion of unofficial testing. This informational hair-testing option will be available beginning with the fall yearling sales. These test kits can be requested through OQHRA. The hair samples can be collected by the owner or trainer and submitted to the lab for testing; results of these unofficial tests will not be considered official for entry purposes, but they will allow owners or trainers who have acquired horses from other barns to voluntarily test them in advance of entry to ensure they are clear of prohibited substances. It offers peace of mind, particularly before making financial commitments such as nomination fees, training investments, or early race preparations. It is important to note that many Sale Companies offer hair testing as a buyer protection within 24 hours of the sale; buyers are encouraged to contact the sales companies about the options available.
“Integrity is the backbone of everything we do,” said Matt Vance, Executive Vice President at Remington Park. “These policies help preserve the integrity of the sport by holding those who choose not to play by the rules accountable. We are proud to work with other Oklahoma tracks and OQHRA to lead the way in promoting fair competition in Quarter Horse racing.”
The core hair testing requirement remains in place: every Quarter Horse, Paint, or Appaloosa must submit to a one-time, pre-entry hair test before starting at any Oklahoma track. Official test results are sent directly to the racetrack, and positive results will lead to exclusion for the duration of that meet. These exclusions are track-specific only and do not constitute regulatory suspensions; participants remain eligible at other tracks unless a separate jurisdiction elects to take action. All horses with official positive tests will be listed publicly at www.OQHRA.com, and test results may be shared with other jurisdictions upon request.
To make the process easier for horsemen, farm visits for hair testing will be available in January and early February for Oklahoma-based trainers with 40 or more horses.
All details of the 2026 hair testing policy, including the unofficial testing option, are available at www.OQHRA.com or by calling (405) 881-5120. ... ’Expand’See Less
2 days ago
Comment on Facebook
Won't matter Justin is so far ahead of the tracks, everyone knows you can't win a big race without the JRJ.
Thank you, However we have got to get the results back presale from these yearlings sales at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino select sale and the New Mexico bred. The Texas Quarter Horse sale needs it as well. Oklahoma QHRA should at least mandate that the horse that are breeders and fitters are marketing for it be tested pre sale date with the horse . Think of how Heritage Place would not want any part of a horse owner wanting his money back on a horse he bought from similar to large sale horse provider like the Flag Ranches size. He would have to choose to do the right thing and force the return of the large ranch for illegal substances. If we could get one sale barn to step up and require this , we would owe it to them to get the others to follow suit to with the presale testing.
Who get the samples from the horses and when
How actual fuck did we ever get to this point?
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