Take A Turnpike

It might suffice to say Nolan Pevehouse had a good Saturday night at Remington Park. There, in the first stakes races of the Paint racing season on March 26, the horseman’s pair of “turnpike” horses—2015 World Champion Painted Turnpike and 2-year-old Paint Me Turnpike—claimed victory in the G1 Speedhorse Graham Paint Derby and the G1 Speedhorse Paint Futurity, respectively. 

G1 Speedhorse Graham Paint Derby

Painted Turnpike maintained his grip on the Paint & Appaloosa racing division, as the reigning Speedhorse Triple Crown winner rolled over the competition in his 2016 racing debut, winning by 2-1/4 lengths in the Speedhorse Graham Paint Derby on Saturday night at Remington Park.

Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, the race was never in question after the opening strides with Painted Turnpike covering the 350 yards in :17.238 seconds over a fast track while earning $16,796 of the $44,200 total purse. Jockey Cody Smith, who has been aboard the popular 3-year-old colt in all nine of his lifetime races, has learned the key to success.

“I just stay out of his way and let him do his thing,” Cody noted. “He’s an honest, hard-trying, big-hearted horse. He’s everything you look for in a racehorse. From flag fall, that’s all. I couldn’t see anybody across (the track) at all. I quit asking him and just kind of let him finish on his own.”

In his early days, winning trainer Matt Whitekiller worked for trainer Lewie Wartchow, who is an Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame Trainer and is known as the “King of Paints.”

“It’s just a blessing to have this horse. He is something else. I worked for a man named Lewie Wartchow for about 10 years and he would have been proud to have this one. He’s just special,” Matt said sentimentally.

Owned and bred by Nolan Pevehouse of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, Painted Turnpike is a 2013 bay solid stallion by PYC Paint Your Wagon (QH) out of the Royal Quick Flash mare High Class Turnpike. Nolan was grateful for the win but had few words to describe it.

“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” he said. “It’s been a long story. I’ve been fighting this game since 1962. Now, I’m kind of getting on the down-slope. I might race another one or two.”

Painted Turnpike paid $3 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.20 to show. Imahotchicken was nearest throughout to finish second and pay $8.80 to place and $4 to show. Wagonette was a 21-1 longshot who gained ground late to finish third and pay $5.20 to show.

Painted Turnpike has now won nine of 10 career starts and remains undefeated at Remington Park, a perfect six-for-six. His lifetime earnings now stand at $248,269.

G1 Speedhorse Paint Futurity

Paint Me Turnpike has emerged as the newest star in the Nolan Pevehouse breeding operation of Paint racehorses with her win in the $127,600 G1 Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity.

Paint Me Turnpike is a 2-year-old brown tobiano filly by PYC Paint Your Wagon (QH) and out of the Texas Hero mare Turnpikes Texas Hero. The 2-year filly earned $49,702 for the win and covered the 300 yards in :15.534 seconds over a fast track to win by a nose at 9-2 odds under jockey Cody Smith.

“She’s not real big. There’s not much to her but she’s got a lot of heart,” Cody said. “She had to show up tonight. The 1-horse (Sexy Painted Wagon) gave her a run for her money. She had to run her down. We didn’t get there until four or five jumps from the wire. She was heads-up with (Sexy Painted Wagon) but it took me a little longer than I anticipated to get passed her. She had every opportunity to lay down but she gutted up and got there.”

“She’s a gutty thing,” winning trainer Matt Whitekiller said. “She came in here and got a little sick and has been playing catch up the whole time. She’s always been behind some of the others. She’s just gritty.”

Paint Me Turnpike paid $11.40 to win, $4.60 to place and $3.20 to show. Sexy Painted Wagon was off at 19-1 odds and paid $19.40 to place and $7.80 to show. CL Trap Queen was the fastest qualifier to the race and even-money favorite, but ducked in at the start and was never in contention, to pay $3 to show.