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Hold My Beer Much The Best In G3 Don Drake Memorial at Will Rogers Sunday
Hold My Beer, under jockey Gonzalo Gutierrez, drives to a two-length win in the $15,800 Grade 3 Don Drake Memorial for 3-year-old & up Paints and Appaloosas Sunday afternoon at Will Rogers Downs

© Coady Photography
Hold My Beer Much The Best In G3 Don Drake Memorial at Will Rogers Sunday

CLAREMORE, OK–NOVEMBER 12, 2023–Bumped at the start, Hold My Beer proved to be much the best as he won the $15,800 Grade 3 Don Drake Memorial for 3-year-old & up Paints and Appaloosas by two lengths Sunday afternoon at Will Rogers Downs.

Under jockey Gonzalo Gutierrez, Hold My Bear completed the 350 yards in :17.890 seconds, an 89 speed index into an 8 mph crosswind.  It was the second win in 10 career starts for the 3-year-old son of leading Paint sire CRM Livewire.

Trainer Matt Whitekiller saddled the bay gelding for owner-breeder De Rae Racing LLC. Out of the First Smart Money mare Irish Vendetta, Hold My Beer used the today's winner's purse valued at $9,480 to boost his bankroll to $46,180.

Wl You Aint No Cowboy earned $3,160 for finishing second. Trainer Noe Rios named jockey Cody Wainscott to ride the Painted Turnpike Oklahoma-bred for owner-breeders Wade and Susan Leggett. Out of the Texas Hero mare Texas Fourwinds, the stakes-placed gelding has earned $49,195.

The winning connectinos of Hold My Beer accept the Don Drake Memorial Stakes trophy Sunday at Will Rogers Downs. © Coady Photography

Post time favorite Zbars Livewire Fs bumped at the start then chased under jockey Eugenio Navarrete, Jr. to finish three-quarter back while earning $1,738 for third. Kasey Willis trans the Oklahoma homebred son of CRM Livewire for owner-breeder Fred Ballard. Out of the Zbar Dash mare Zbar Miss Bully, Zbars Livewire Fs is a stakes winner of $72,918.

Salt Wire and Marfil completed the field.

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The 2023 fall season officially began at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs September 11th and will concludes November 14th. Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs is located 3 miles east of Claremore on Highway 20. For more information, visit www.cherokeecasino.com and click on the Will Rogers Downs tab, or call (918) 283-8800.