APOLLITICAL JESS FILLY, AJ ROCK MY HEART, PROVES HER WORTH AS $220,000 PURCHASE WINNING FASTEST TRAINING RACE AT REMINGTON PARK

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – February 22, 2023 – The Eddie Willis barn shone brightly during 11 training races Wednesday, winning four, but trainer Wendy Garcia beat a Willis horse with her filly AJ Rock My Heart in the fifth race, turning in the fastest time of the day.

AJ Rock My Heart, a 2-year-old American Quarter Horse filly by Apollitical Jess, out of the Tres Seis mare Adolph Tres Knockout, was purchased for $220,000 at the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale last year by the Salazar brothers – Eddie and Uriel – who own Salazar Racing Stable in Cedar Hill, Texas.

“They gave us a blank check for the Heritage Place Sale,” said trainer Wendy Garcia of Mansfield, Texas.

So for that kind of money, they must be lifelong friends or acquaintances, right?

“No, we just met,” Garcia said. “We met them through friends.”

AJ Rock My Heart battled to the wire with Willis’ Acapulco Bay and prevailed by one-hundredth of a second. She hit the finish line in :13.714 over the fast track, to the runner-up who ran :13.722. Both horses received 75 speed indexes, which were easily best of the day in a prevailing headwind throughout the session. AJ Rock My Heart, under rider Modesto Pina (Garcia’s husband), won her race into the toughest headwind of the day at 24 mph. The least headwind of the day was 19 mph. The training race card was conducted under sunny skies with temperatures ranging from the high 60s to low 70s.

Garcia and Pina have been traveling the Quarter Horse circuit for more than 10 years and now have drafted their children into the business. It’s a full family affair, Garcia said.

Willis won four races on the day and his second-place horse vs. Garcia had a faster time than his four winners. Muddy Puddles, a Paint in the eighth race, was the fastest winner for Willis, who has won an unprecedented 12 training titles at Remington Park. Muddy Puddles won in a time of :13.760 (73 speed index) in the eighth race. Willis’ other winners were Coronados Fate, :13.819 (71), race six; Jess To Be Valiant, :13.904 (67) race 10, and Gotta Reason, :14.015 (63), race nine.

The other training race winners (Quarter Horses unless otherwise noted), their times (in order from fastest to slowest winners), speed index, trainers and race number were:

• TF Miss Ripp Too, :13.818, 71, Jesus Ruiz, race seven
• Defyant, :13.847, 70, Joseph Manucy, race two
• Cuz Im High On You, :13.956, 65, Jesus Ruiz, race three
• Corpus Christi, :14.003, 63, Monty Arrossa, race 11
• Boujee OG (Paint), :14.057, 61, Dee Keener, race one
• Cartel Caydee (Paint), :14.244, 54, Dee Keener, race four

The 2023 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season will begin on March 9.

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Tracked by more than 172,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $315 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 live racing returns March 9 with the start of the 2023 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.