OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 12, 2013—Making his Remington Park debut Sunday, Stray Cat battled to win by a nose in the Grade 3, $45,270 Red Cell Remington Park Distance Challenge. The 4-year-old horse prevailed when the photo-finish image proved his nose-bob at the line had him there first over Emperor Valerian and DM Streakin Thru Fire in a great ending to the 870-yard race.

Owned by the Bonsall, Calif. partnership of Vessels Stallion Farm and entertainer Lyle Lovett, after getting pinched back at the start Stray Cat moved inside of his finishing rivals with 200 yards remaining to put himself in position. Emperor Valerian had the advantage up to that point, then dug down to battle back. Running in the middle of the stretch was DM Streakin Thru Fire with a rally. The trio finished just centimeters apart in the margins. Stray Cat crossed the line in :46.124 seconds.

Stray Cat became the first Quarter Horse stakes winner for former leading Thoroughbred sire Storm Cat (TB), who died at the age of 30 on April 24.

Jonathan E. Sheppard trained the son of Storm Bird out of the stakes-winning Secretariat mare Terlingua. Storm Cat won the Young America Stakes (gr. I) and finished second in the 1985 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), earning $570,610.

Storm Cat retired from racing in 1987 to stand at Overbrook Farm. After breeding his first book of mares in 1988 at a fee of $30,000, he spent 20 years at stud during a career that saw his fee rise to as high as $500,000.

The prolific stallion sired earners of over $127 million, eight champions, and 108 graded stakes winners including the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), and five Breeders' Cup races. He ranked second on the all-time Breeders' Cup sire list and was the sire of numerous European group I winners. He topped the general sire list twice, the juvenile sire list a record seven times, and was leading broodmare sire in 2012.

Of his yearlings, 462 sold at public auction for over $319 million, including 91 yearlings, which brought $1 million or more.

Storm Cat retired from active stud duties in 2008 and led a quiet life at Overbrook. Through the advances of artificial insemination and a special fertility procedure developed at Texas A&M University, Storm Cat was made available to Quarter Horse mares that year.

His first American Quarter Horse foal, Stray Cat, was born May 22, 2009 at Vessels Stallion Farm, near Bonsall, California. Stray Cat is from the AQHA Racing Champion mare Your First Moon, a daughter of All-Time Leading Quarter Horse sire First Down Dash. Your First Moon earned more than $750,000 with such grade 1 wins at the Los Alamitos Million Futurity(G1).

Bred in California by his owners, Stray Cat won his second career race and his first at the 870-yard distance. The winner’s check of $21,280 moves his total earnings to $42,398.

Stray Cat is the only stallion in the world to carry the combined blood of leading Thoroughbred sire Storm Cat and all-time leading Quarter Horse sire First Down Dash. Those two stallions have combined sire earnings of nearly $207 million.

Trained by Raymond Vargas and ridden by Cody Jensen, Stray Cat was 7-1 in the betting and paid $16.60 to win, $7.20 to place and $4.40 to show. Emperor Valerian returned $8 to place and $4.80 to show. DM Streakin Thru Fire paid $3 to show as the beaten 8-5 wagering favorite.

Ricky Ramirez rode Empeopr Valerian for owner Salvador Pimienta and trainer Brandon Muniz. The Heza Fast Dash 5-year-old earned $9,053 for second to push his earnings mark to $98,996. Kelly/Yearsley Equine, LLC bred the gelding in Oklahoma from the Dashing Val mare Sheeza Lil Val.

Dm Streakn Thru Fire came into the race off a third place effort in the Red Cell Sunland Park Distance Challenge on March 31. Toby Keeton conditions the Walk Thru Fire 5-year-old for the partnership of Richard Sturdevant, Terry Wootan and Joe David Yates. G.R. Carter, Jr. was aboard to bring the grade stakes winner's earnings to $493,313. Don Moler bred Dm Streakn Thru Fire in Oklahoma from the Sixarun mare Sashay N Six.

De Passem Okey, a two-time American Quarter Horse Association Champion Distance Runner was fourth. It was the first race in his 11 career starts around the Remington Park turn where he did not finish in the top-three positions.

Completing the field were My Bandera Beauty, Flyin Fish, Docs Dusty Okie, Apollo Rocks and Srd Bobwirebob.

The Remington Park win will now advance Stray Cat to the $100,000-Guaranteed Grade 1 Red Cell Distance Challenge Champions during Bank of America Challenge Championship Night at Los Alamitos Race Course on November 9.

The 2013 Remington Park American Quarter Horse & Mixed-Breed Season continues Thursday thru Sunday, May 16-19. The first race Thursday and Friday is at 6pm. Saturday racing starts at 5pm with the simulcast of the Preakness Stakes featured at 5:20pm. Sunday racing gets underway at 1:30pm.

Open daily at 10:30am for casino gaming and simulcast racing, Remington Park is the home of the $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity on June 1. Featuring the Bricktown Brewery on the casino floor, admission, general parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park.

Tracked by over 33,000 fans on Facebook and 3,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park is Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino and is located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.