TRAINER EDDIE WILLIS WINS FIRST THREE STAKES RACES ON EIGHT-STAKES CARD, TAKES $100,000 REMINGTON PARK JUVENILE WITH FACING THE FIRE

OKLAHOMA CITY – April 19, 2020 – Trainer Eddie Willis can do it all, winning with odds-on favorites and longest shots on the board, like Facing the Fire in the $100,000 Remington Park Juvenile on Saturday night.

The Remington Park Juvenile is an event for 2-year-old Oklahoma-breds who competed in trials for the Remington Park Futurity.

Facing the Fire was sent off at 22-1 odds in the RP Juvenile, being dismissed in the betting despite being basically mugged when he ran fourth in the Remington Park Futurity Trials on April 4. The top three finishers in his trial on that Saturday all qualified to the RP Futurity final when only five qualified on that second night of trials. So he had come out of one of the toughest trials and secondly, figured to improve after having such a rough trip.

Facing the Fire did just that, besting this bunch of 2-year-old American Quarter Horses in high style, getting to the line first in :16.973 for the 330 yards over a fast surface. It was Willis’ third stakes win in a row of the evening, after taking the Laico Bird Stakes with Best of You (9-1 odds), the Mr Master Bug Stakes with Love Is Everything V (4-5) and this stakes, the RP Juvenile.

Jockey Jimmy Brooks won his second in a row for the Willis, the 10-time training title winner at Remington Park. It was also Willis’ second time to win the RP Juvenile. He got the trophy in 2002 with You Go Ms Kimberly.

Facing the Fire is a 2-year-old gelded son of Valiant Hero, out of the Walk Thru Fire mare DM Sashay N Fire, and is also owned by Willis of Caney, Okla. He was bred in Oklahoma by Alona James.

Facing the Fire paid $47.40, $20 and $12.20 across the board, finishing a head in front of Nonsense On Corona (9-1). That horse returned $10.60 and $6 to place and show. The $2 exacta was worth $405. Nonsense On Corona was a head in front of third-place finisher A Valiant Choice. The 5-2 beaten wagering favorite, DF Fabulous Maiden, ran fifth.

The winner earned $40,816 from the purse and won for the first time in three starts with one second and a bankroll that has now reached $47,323.

Racing is scheduled to continue, with no public spectators, with Sunday’s 10-race card on tap with a new post time of 6 p.m. (Central) for the first race.

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Tracked by more than 163,000 fans on Facebook and more than 10,200 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $242 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 the 2020 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season through May 30. Visit remingtonpark.com for free racing selections for every program.