R Cowgirl (#9) wins the Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Stakes at Remington Park on Saturday under champion James Flores.
© Dustin Orona Photography
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—JUNE 1, 2024– R Cowgirl had not raced in a little more than six months, but it didn't seem to matter Saturday, June 1 at Remington Park as the 3-year-old Appaloosa filly won the Grade 1, $35,000 Speedhorse Graham Paint and Appaloosa Stakes. It was her seventh win in only eight career races.
The last time R Cowgirl had set foot on a track for a race was Nov. 23 last year at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The result of that race was the filly's only loss of her life.
She finished third in a futurity trial that day in Texas and then was laid up by trainer Dee Keener for owner Jeff Adams of Durant, Okla. She came back to the racetrack with a vengeance staying undefeated in five races at Remington Park and five races at the distance of 350 yards.
Jockey James Flores persevered from the outside post with R Cowgirl and she won the race over a hard-charging Wire Tap, just to her inside. Wire Tap was a stakes winner at Remington Park this meet, taking the Grade 1, $25,000 American Paint Stakes in the mud on April 28 by a neck.
This was the fourth time Keener had won this race, also making the trip to the winner's circle in 2017 with PHQ Goodbye Earl, 2019 with Bullet Bonnie and in 2022 with Js Runnin Wire.
Flores has now won this stakes three times. He was the winning jockey for Keener on Bullet Bonnie and also won in 2018 aboard Expressions N Snow.
R Cowgirl gave her owner Jeff Adams his first win in the series. She is by Flying Cowboy 123 (QH) from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon (QH) broodmare Paint This Kitty and was bred in Oklahoma by her owner.
R Cowgirl had stamped her name as a dominant Appaloosa when she won the richest Paints/Appaloosas race in the world last year as a 2-year-old, winning the Grade 1 $257,675 Speedhorse Graham Futurity at Remington Park.
R Cowgirl, who stopped the timer in :17.366 for the 350 yards for a 98 speed-index on the fast track, earned $20,838 for the win and improved lifetime to 8-7-0-1 for $188,023 in earnings. She was sent off at 8-5 odds and paid $5.20 to win, $3 to place and $2.60 to show. Runner-up Wire Tap was the 8-5 favorite, with just a tad more money bet on him than the winner, and that 3-year-old gelding was a half-length ahead of Jess a Livewire (12-1) in third.
Coming off a second-place effort in the Grade 1 Mister Lewie Memorial on May 11, Wire Tap settled for second again to earn $6,46 for owner-breeders Dan and Kaye Jones. Matt Whitekiller conditions the Crm Livewire gelding out of Lindys Sign by Second Paint Sign. Salvador Martinez had the riding assignment.
Jess A Livewire earned $3,820 for third. Jockey Edwin Escobedo had the riding call aboard the Crm Livewire filly for trainer Clinton Crawford. Owner-breeders H.T. Churchwell and Michael Hester bred the bay filly in Oklahoma from the Apollitical Jess mare Jess A Snowy Cartel.
The rest of the order of finish was Face Paint (9-1) fourth, Js Apollitical Chick (9-1) fifth, Storms Livewire (10-1) sixth, Wired Red Head (10-1) seventh and Jimmie Ray (26-1) eighth.
For additional information on breeding, contact Royal Vista Ranch Farm Manager—Laura Erickson—at (405) 449-7575.
Story and images courtesy of Stallion E Search.