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admin March 11, 2023 0 Comments

TRAINER EDDIE WILLIS QUALIFIES MUDDY PUDDLES WITH TOP TIME FOR $203,465 OKLAHOMA PAINTS & APPALOOSA FUTURITY

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — March 11, 2023 – The more things change at Remington Park, the more they stay the same as 12-time training title winner Eddie Willis had the fastest qualifier Friday night for the $203,465 Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity which will be run Saturday, March 25 at Remington Park.

Muddy Puddles, ridden by Justine Klaiber, was the fastest of 10 qualifiers and is trained by Willis. The 2-year-old Paint filly by CRM Livewire, out of the SF Royal Quick Flash mare Turbulence, won the first trial of the night and her time of :15.724 for 300 yards held up as the fastest of the seven qualifying heats. Muddy Puddles earned an 81-speed index for owner Posey Willis of Oklahoma City.

Klaiber broke second out of the gate on Muddy Puddles and then immediately went to the front after a few steps, never looking back. She held on for a neck victory over the fifth-fastest qualifier, Whiskey and Rain. Muddy Puddles went off as the 2-1 second betting favorite in her trial, her first official career start. She also had won her training race on Feb. 22 in the fastest time of the day at 250 yards – 13.76. Her sire, CRM Livewire, has been the most prolific sire for Paints for a couple of years now. He is a two-time Champion American Paint Horse.

Willis also qualified MT Ultima Livewire to the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity but his pair was still two less than what trainer Dee Keener accomplished. The new “King of Paints” and the all-time winningest conditioner of the breed, Keener will send four of the top 10 into the gate for the finals. He saddled Triple L Xpress, WF Candy Tellin Tales, The Nine One Eight and Js Flying Chicken to runs fast enough to put them into the March 25 main event.

Keener passed Lewis Wartchow a couple of years back after the late great trainer had held the “King of Paint” crown for decades.

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

  • Muddy Puddles, Klaiber, Willis, trial one, :15.724, 81
  • V Golden Game, Agustin Silva, Mark Barnes, trial four, :15.744, 81
  • Triple L Express, Bryan Candanosa, Dee Keener, trial four, :15.746, 81
  • MT Ultima Livewire, Jimmy Brooks, Eddie Willis, trial three, :15.770, 80
  • Whiskey and Rain, Bryan Candanosa, Monty Arrossa, trial one, :15.773, 80
  • WF Candy Tellin Tales, James Flores, Dee Keener, trial four, :15.814, 78
  • Jess a Livewire, Jorge Torres, Clint Crawford, trial seven, :15.830, 78
  • The Nine One Eight, Ricky Ramirez, Dee Keener, trial two, :15.848, 77
  • The OSC Jefa, Juan Pulido, Juan Diaz, Jr., trial two, :15.851, 77
  • Js Flying Chicken, James Flores, Dee Keener, trial five, :15.889, 76

All 10 of the qualifiers for the futurity are Paint horses. All trials were conducted over a fast track with light headwinds ranging from 7-10mph.

The 2023 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season continues with 17 races for the Oklahoma Futurity trials on Saturday starting at 3 p.m. and then concluding with 10 races on Sunday, beginning with a 4 p.m. first post.

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Tracked by more than 172,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $316 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 features the 2023 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season through June 3. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.