JESS GOOD WINE WINS SECOND STAKES IN ROW AT REMINGTON, TAKING DEE RAPER SOONER STATE

by Richard Linihan

OKLAHOMA CITY, April 29, 2024 – Jess Good Wine won his second stakes in a row at Remington Park on Monday and his third consecutive stakes in a row, capturing the $100,000 Dee Raper Sooner State Stakes. Jockey Bryan Candanosa was in the saddle.

The 4-year-old gelded son of Good Reason SA, out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Mr Perrys Wine, has won six of his last eight starts. He won the Mr Jet Moore Stakes here on April 6 and the $100,000 Hobbs American Derby at Zia Park in New Mexico on Dec. 17 before his layoff coming up to Remington Park.

Trainer Toby Keeton has had this one set on ready since entering the Oklahoma City limits and kept Jess Good Wine undefeated in two starts at Remington Park and two starts at this distance of 400 yards.

“This horse is just smooth,” said Candanosa. “We didn’t get away well, but he did it all on his own.”

Apollitical Payoff (17-1) came to the front-running Jess Good Wine (1-5 heavy favorite), but the winner was having none of it.

“I knew my horse would finish,” Candanosa said.

Jess Good Wine paid $2.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. It was the first win in this stakes series for all the connections. Jess Good Wine earned $58,800 for owner Guns Up Racing of Lubbock, Texas and improved to 16 starts, eight wins, five seconds and one third for a bankroll of $424,883. He was a $35,000 purchase at the 2021 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale.

Jess Good Wine hit the wire in :19.655 for the 400 yards, over a fast track, for a speed index of 94. He finished a head in front of Apollitical Payoff, who was a full length in front of third-place finisher One Stolin Eagle (10-1).

“It’s been a lot of fun the last year and a half with him,” said Kevin Hogan, who is a partner in the ownership group. “It’s been a blast. I have to thank (our vet), who fixed him when he had a tendon tear as a 2-year-old.”

Keeton stays in a state of amazement with Jess Good Wine.

“He just keeps doing it,” Keeton said. “He didn’t really run a great race today, but he’s always in front.”

Jess Good Wine was bred in Oklahoma by Flag Ranch.

The order of finish past the top three was A Legacy of Tales (23-1) fourth, Candy Cartels Jess (27-1) fifth, Defours (16-1) sixth and Hooked N Gone (5-1) running last for the first time in his career.

All the horses wore red saddle cloths in deference to Dee Raper, the late gentleman who was instrumental in the passage of pari-mutel racing laws in Oklahoma in the early 1980s. He was president of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association from 1993-2001 and is a member of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park. The University of Oklahoma Sooners supporter passed away in 2020.

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Remington Park has provided more than $347 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.