OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—APRIL 29, 2018—A superb field of eight Oklahoma-breds have entered Saturday’s $100,000 Sooner State Stakes at Remington Park. The restricted-Grade 1 event features a previous winner, while also boasting a 2017 champion.

Hold Air Hostage, the American Quarter Horse Association Champion 3-year-old last year, will return to Remington Park for the first time since winning the 2017 Heritage Place Derby by a widening 1-ľ lengths.

Since that local romp, Hold Air Hostage has put together a five-race winning streak, topped by his triumphs in the $1.3 million All American Derby and the $1.1 million Rainbow Derby, both at Ruidoso Downs, N.M last summer.

Owned by Darling Farms of Lamont, Okla. and trained by James Padgett, Hold Air Hostage will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo in the Sooner State Stakes. The 4-year-old Apollitical Jess gelding is the 7-5 morning-line favorite and will start from post position two. Hold Air Hostage brings a field-leading $1,216,317 in career earnings into the Sooner State Stakes.

Among those joining Hold Air Hostage in the Sooner State Stakes is another son of Apollitical Jess, AJs High winner of the race in 2016. Victorious in 15 career starts from 28 attempts, the 6-year-old leads the field in wins and is also approaching the $1 million-mark for career earnings. Owned by Michael Teel of Columbia, Mo., AJs High has made $837,992 overall. He is trained by Charley Hunt and will be ridden by Stormy Smith.

Apollitical Chad, also by Apollitical Jess, winner of the 2016 Ruidoso Futurity and the 2017 Texas Classic Derby at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, makes his first start of the year in the Sooner State Stakes.

Owned by Nueve Racing and trained by Wes Giles, G.R. Carter will have the assignment in attempting to keep Apollitical Chad’s three-race winning streak going.

The eight in the Sooner State Stakes have won a total of 59 career races with total earnings of $3,993,047

The field for the Sooner State Stakes, by post position and program order, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Tough To Bee: Blaine Wood, Ricky Ramirez, 4-1
2. Hold Air Hostage: James Padgett, Rodrigo Vallejo, 7-5 (morning-line favorite)
3. Gypsys Last Hero: Guillermo Valdivia, Larry Payne, 15-1
4. AJs High: Charley Hunt, Stormy Smith, 7-2
5. Rarin: Juventino Ruiz, Agustin Silva, 15-1
6. Apollitical Chad: Wes Giles, G.R. Carter, 4-1
7. Double Down: Clint Crawford, Omar Reyes, 20-1
8. Ferrari James: Kirt Clark, Cristian Esqueda, 20-1

The 10th of 12 races on Saturday at Remington Park, the Sooner State Stakes is scheduled for 4:17pm. The first race on Saturday, May 5 is at Noon.

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Tracked by over 139,000 fans on Facebook and more than 9,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided over $190 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Remington Park, Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino, is home to the Grade 1, $100,000 Leo Stakes on Saturday, April 28. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, Remington Park is 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.