OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 4, 2019— It's been almost a year and a half since LD Is Back was in the winner's circle, but he got back in it Saturday in the Grade 1, $100,000 Leo Stakes at Remington Park.

Even though the 6-year-old gelding hadn't been in the winner's circle doesn't mean he wasn't something special. For instance, LD Is Back finished only a neck back in the $600,000 Champion of Champions, one of the top races in the country for older American Quarter Horses on Dec. 15 at Los Alamitos in California.

The horse that won that race, Bodacious Eagle, was named the 2018 World Champion by the AQHA in additional to having two more divisional honors.

Bodacious Eagle was World Champ in the aged horse and aged gelding classifications and has won $1.2 million in his career. LD Is Back was the 2-1 favorite two years ago in the $956,000 Los Alamitos Derby and looked every bit of that in winning the Leo Stakes Saturday at Remington Park under jockey Jesse Levario.

Trainer Josue Ponce sent this son of Walk Thru Fire, out of the Jazzing Hi mare Prima LD, to the gate for the Leo at 400 yards and knew he was a presence with which to be dealt. The gelding looked like a monster in the paddock, muscled up and ready to fire. He did just that with a winning time of :19.317 seconds, a 101 speed index with a 7 mph tailwind, over a fast track.

"I know he's a good horse," Ponce said. "He did his job. Yes, we have accepted into the Remington Park Invitational (Grade 1 $250,000-added Championship, closing day, Saturday, June 1). We'll see how he comes out of this."

LD Is Back, owned by Valeriano Racing Stables, LLC, of Odessa, Texas, and was bred in California by Gerardo Pasquel. He paid $6.40 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.20 to show. There was a dead-heat for second in the Leo with Born To B Bad and Tough To Bee finishing on even terms behind LD Is Back.

Born To B Bad, a graded winning son of multiple stakes sire Freighttrain B, picked up $12,530 for his dead-heat with Tough To Be. Tammy Kay Johnson conditions the Texas-bred out of Dosvedanya by Separatist for owner Melissa Layton. N R Stevenson and Slayton bred the 5-year-old gelding who has banked $253,517. James Flores was riding.

Paragon Farms LLC's Grade 1 winner Tough To Be, by leading sire Apollitical Jess, was saddled by trainer Trey Wood and ridden by jockey Tanner Thedford. James and Marilyn Helzer bred the $648,071 earner in Oklahoma from the Tres Seis mare Peppermint Seis. He won the Ruidoso Derby(G1) in 2017.

Cartel Cupid, Siximooons and Tommy The Train completed the field.

LD Is Back gave all of his connections their first victory in the Leo Stakes. The race is named in honor of one of Quarter Horse racing's foundation sires. Leo, an AQHA Hall of Fame member, stood the bulk of his long stallion career in Perry, Okla., where a life-size statue commemorates him to this day. Leo was owned for the final decades of his life by Bud Warren.

Racing continues Sunday at 1:30 p.m. for a 10-race live card at Remington Park.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Remington Park is always open for casino gaming. Simulcast horse racing is offered daily. Admission, parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park. Guests must be 18 or older in order to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino.

Tracked by more than 153,000 fans on Facebook and more than 9,900 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $216 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Home to the historic Grade 2 Oklahoma Futurity, to be run for the 78th time on March 23, 2019, Remington Park 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.