LIVEWIRES TURNPIKE ALMOST SETS TRACK RECORD AS FASTEST QUALIFIER FOR $153,000 AMERICAN PAINT CLASSIC FUTURITY

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – April 8, 2022 – Livewires Turnpike was easily the fastest qualifier of the 10 finalists for the Grade 1, $153,000 American Paint Classic Futurity in trials Friday night at Remington Park.

The 2-year-old gelded Paint owned by Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla., trained by Ty Blackwell and ridden by Cody Smith, burst to the lead in one of four trials of juvenile Paints and blew clear to win by 2-1/2 lengths. His finishing time was in the neighborhood of the track record of :16.602 set by Ms Flashy Dancer on April 24, 2014. Livewires Turnpike flew to the finish in :16.614, only 12-thousandths of a second off the record. The scary part is Smith never really urged him to do much in this trial other than let him show his talent. He may have more than he showed in this 330-yard race, which begs the question of whether he will challenge that track record in the finals on Saturday, April 23. His speed index in Friday’s trials was 96 and the second-fastest qualifier earned an 86.

A son of the prolific sire CRM Livewire, out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon (QH) mare Wagon On Turnpike, Livewires Turnpike was bred in Oklahoma by Nolan Pevehouse.

Livewires Turnpike could easily have been three-for-three to start his career. On March 4 at Remington Park, he was the 4-5 betting favorite in his Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity trial, and was tripped up early by a competitor in that race. He still managed to finish third. He came back and ran in the $30,000 Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Juvenile and his hooves were on fire as he blasted to the lead and never looked back. Smith booted him home a winner in that 300-yard race by 1-1/4 lengths.

Livewires Turnpike is one of two Paints that Blackwell qualified for the finals. He also will saddle Turnpikes Peanut for Hawk on April 23. Jockey Fernando Fonseca-Soto was aboard that horse, who was eighth-fastest of the 10 going to the final.

Five of the 10 qualifiers came from the third of the four trials. Trainer Ray Enlow led the way with most qualifiers with three – the third-fastest, the fifth-fastest and ninth-fastest. Jockeys Cody Wainscott and Roman Cruz qualified two each.

The following were the 10 fastest qualifiers with times, speed index, trial number, jockey and trainer:

• 1) Livewires Turnpike, :16.614, 96, trial one, Cody Smith, Ty Blackwell
• 2) The OSC Goldenboy, :16.965, 86, trial three, Juan Pulido, Santos Carrizales, Jr.
• 3) Hold My Beer, :17.019, 84, trial three, Roman Cruz, Ray Enlow
• 4) Memories of PYC, :17.032, 84, trial one, Francisco Calderon, Monty Arrossa
• 5) RP Barracuda Dash, :17.107, 81, trial three, Justine Klaiber, Ray Enlow
• 6) U Know Im Kool, :17.111, 81, trial three, James Flores, Michelle Hurdle
• 7) WL Van Halen, :17.170, 80, trial three, Cody Wainscott, Troy Carter
• 8) Turnpikes Peanut, :17.182, 79, trial four, Fernando Fonsceca-Soto, Ty Blackwell
• 9) RP Dirty Barracuda, :17.262, 77, trial four, Cody Wainscott, Ray Enlow
• 10) Secret Mystic Lady, :17.273, 76, trial two, Roman Cruz, Gary Walker

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Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $288 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 $973,665 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.