SMITHWORKS SETS TOP QUALIFYING TIME FOR OKLAHOMA PAINT & APPALOOSA FUTURITY AT REMINGTON PARK

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – March 8, 2021 – Smithworks hasn’t lost since he stepped out of his barn. This son of World Champion Paint, Painted Turnpike, is looking a lot like his dad in his first two trips to the track.

Smithworks won his training race at Remington Park on Feb. 24 and then Sunday put up the fastest time in the trials for the Grade 1, $180,000 (estimated) Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity that will be run on Saturday, March 20. All this horse’s sire did was become a multiple World Champion and the all-time leader in Paint earnings, winning 26-of-31 lifetime starts for $465,442. A total of 19 of his wins were stakes victories. At one point, Painted Turnpike won 14 races in a row.

Now comes a talented son, Smithworks. He is out of the Mighty Invictus (QH) mare Shesa Mighty Chick, and officially is one-for-one since training races don’t count in pari-mutuel action, but the effort was impressive. In his trial, Smithworks covered 300 yards in :15.706 over the fast track for a speed index of 80. He was ridden to victory by Francisco Calderon, a multiple-stakes winning jockey with 22 graded wins under his belt. He was given a leg up by trainer Matt Whitekiller for owner Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla.

Whitekiller’s two wins on Sunday tied him with the late, great Lewis Wartchow, for second in all-time Paint training wins with 321 each. Dee Keener, who passed Wartchow last year as the top all-time trainer, won one race Sunday to move to 326 wins lifetime.

Whitekiller qualified four Paints for the finals, taking the top spot, third (DTL Hot Wired), fifth (I Ama Travelin Apple), and 10^th (Livewires Wagon) among the 10 fastest of the night. Smithworks finished three-quarters of a length in front of Turnpikes Judy for his victory in the first trial of six.

The top 10 qualifiers for the finals of the Grade 1, Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity, with their jockey, trainer, trial number, times and speed index:

• Smithworks, Francisco Calderon, Matt Whitekiller, trial one (race eight), :15.706 seconds, 80
• Shez Wired Up, Josh Romero, Troy Carter, trial six (race 13), :15.797, 77
• DTL Hot Wired, Cody Smith, Matt Whitekiller, trial six (race 13), :15.836, 75
• Turnpikes Judy, Daniel Torres, Carlos Ruiz, trial one (race eight), :15.843, 75
• I Ama Travelin Apple, Cody Smith, Matt Whitekiller, trial three (race 10), :15.870, 74
• Grant Dacious, Jorge Torres, Clint Crawford, trial two (race nine), :15.890, 74
• RF Livies Livewire, Juan Pulido, Dee Keener, trial two (race nine), :15.894, 73
• De Quick Capo, Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis, trial four (race 11), :15.916, 73
• Wired to Win, Francisco Calderon, Oscar Nunez, trial four (race 11), :15.923, 72
• Livewires Wagon, Francisco Calderon, Matt Whitekiller, trial three (race 10), :15.932, 72

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Tracked by more than 165,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $258 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 is open daily for casino gaming and simulcast horse racing. The 2021 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues through May 29. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.