Paints were in the spotlight Saturday night at Remington Park, with the Grade 1 $96,200 American Paint Classic Futurity as the main event. Psychedelic Scott used his late kick to rally and win the 2-year-old stakes race, scoring his first career win in the process.
Owned by Steven Wright of Coweta, Oklahoma, and trained by Jeff Dean, Psychedelic Scott qualified for the Paint Classic with a second-place trial run on April 12. Jockey G.R. Carter rode the 2013 gray solid gelding then and believed in his ability, keeping the mount for the final.
“This horse is really professional. He broke a little slow in the trials, made a big run and barely got beat. We knew that if he broke pretty clean tonight he would really look good down the racetrack and he did just like we expected,” G.R. noted after the winner’s circle presentation. “The horse to his outside (DTL Head Honcho) bumped him leaving the gate. He seemed to survive that really good and kept going forward. When I got into him he just made a really big run and finished really strong.”
Psychedelic Scott made the lead with about 150 yards left in the 350-yard race, pulling away from Imahotchicken to win by three-quarters of a length in :17.735 seconds over a fast track. DTL Head Honcho came on with a late rally to gain third, 1-1/2 behind the winner.
Coupled in the wagering as an entry with Sturgis, also owned by Steve, Psychedelic Scott was the 2-1 betting favorite and paid $6.60 to win, $4 to place and $3.20 to show. Imahotchicken returned $5 to place and $3.40 to show. DTL Head Honcho returned $4.80 to show.
The first career win was worth $36,556 to Psychedelic Scott, a gray 2-year-old by Judys Lineage from the Holland East (QH) mare The Hippie Chick (QH). He has one win from three overall starts and now has earnings of $37,875. Psychedelic Scott was bred in Oklahoma by Wendy Ingersoll.
The American Paint Classic victory on Psychedelic Scott was G.R.’s eighth career win in the race.
$39,700 American Paint Derby
The 3-year-old Paints had the other stakes race on the Paint Classic undercard with the American Paint Derby going to 2014 Champion Paint Texas Silk.
The sophomore season had not been kind to Texas Silk, who raced for earnings of nearly $200,000 as a 2-year-old. In three starts at Remington Park this season, he had been unable to get a solid start while also failing to present any sort of rally. Those issues were gone in the American Paint Derby as G.R. Carter picked up the mount, knowing Texas Silk still had the talent for stakes wins.
“This horse won all the big futurities last year with me chasing him,” G.R. said. “I was very fortunate to get to ride him tonight. He really ran a nice race. He was kind of leaning in the gate and lifted just ever so little bit and (Dashin JJ) had me beat about a shoulder. I got into him left-handed and he just really responded nice and was really stretching out the last half of the race.”
Texas Silk was in contention throughout the 400 yards and easily passed Dashin JJ just past the halfway point in the race, crossing the finish in :19.712 seconds. Dashin JJ was his usual game self, running second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner. Fabulous Dos and Scuba Steve finished in a dead-heat for third.
Texas Silk was 3-1 in the betting and paid $8 to win, $6.60 to place and $3.20 to show. Dashin JJ returned $5.40 to place and $3.60 to show. Fabulous Dos paid $5.40 to show while Scuba Steve paid $4.20 to show. Cat Scratch Dash was the beaten 5-2 wagering favorite, finishing fifth, 2-3/4 lengths behind Texas Silk.
The derby win is the seventh from 14 career attempts for Texas Silk, owned by Charles Leggett of Muskogee, Oklahoma, and trained by Jeff Dean. The gelding made $17,865 to run his career earnings to $232,169.
Texas Silk is by Texas Six and out of Judys Silk, a daughter of Judys Lineage, and was bred in Oklahoma by H.T. and Kay Churchwell.
The American Paint Derby win on Texas Silk gave Carter his seventh career win in the race.
Both the American Paint Classic and the American Paint Derby are presented at Remington Park by the Paint Stallion Breeders Association.
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