APOLLITICAL HERO WINS FOR SECOND TIME AT REMINGTON PARK, TAKING FEATURE RACE FOR AQHA TOP TRAINER OF 2021, JASON OLMSTEAD

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – March 25, 2022 – The 2021 American Quarter Horse Association Champion Trainer, Jason Olmstead, continued his winning ways Friday night, taking the Remington Park feature race with Apollitical Hero.

Last year was the greatest season of Olmstead’s career with his horses coming very close to winning $2 million for 2021. He finished the year with $1,949,697 earned from the horses he sent out to earn the top award.

On Friday, Apollitical Hero earned $14,632 from the $27,380 allowance/optional claiming race and the win moved Olmstead into a tie for sixth in the trainers standings at Remington Park with six victories this meet. Jockey Edwin Escobedo provided his winning services in the 350-yard race pushing this 4-year-old gelding to the wire a mere neck in front of a hard-charging Uncurled Fist.

Apollitical Hero was the post-time favorite at 3-2 odds, while Uncurled Fist was 8-1. The second-favorite in the race, FDD Princess (9-2), ran last after being unprepared at the start, looking to her left as the gate opened. Uncurled Fist finished another neck in front of third-place finisher Industrious (9-1).

Running time for the winner was :17.454 over a fast track, good enough for a speed index of 95. Tom Maher, Paul Leudemann and Dick Tobin of Pierre, S.D., own the winning gelding and he was bred in Oklahoma by Canadian River QH. It was the second win at Remington in seven starts here for the son of Apollitical Jess, out of the Valiant Hero mare Belle of Valor. His record improved lifetime to 21 starts, four wins, four seconds and four thirds for a total bankroll of $88,008.

Apollitical Hero paid $5 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.60 to show.

Olmstead had the biggest year of his career in 2021, with 475 starters, winning 88 times, the most wins of any trainer in the country, according to Equibase statistics. Prior to last year, Olmstead had finished seventh in the nation twice for wins, in 2020 and 2019. This year, he has started horses 21 times, winning five, running second three  times and third another three times with his horses banking $126,669. His top horse has been Grade 1 winner Lynnder 16. That Apollitical Jess mare has won 15-of-31 starts and earned $779,188. Among her victories was the Grade 1 AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship Stakes at the Downs at Albuquerque. She also won Distaff Stakes races at Canterbury twice, Ruidoso and Will Rogers Downs.

Olmstead has had six other Grade 3 stakes winners in his barn. He started training in 2014. Since he began training, his quarter horses have started 2,755 times, won 448 times, 392 seconds and 414 thirds for a total of $9,604,513 in earnings.

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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 will feature the richest futurity for state-breds, the $925,000 (estimated) Remington Park Futurity on April 16. Simulcast horse is racing featured daily at Remington Park where the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.