Sooner State Stakes winner (G1) Candy Blood put in an impressive workout over the weekend at Remington Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—FEBRUARY 19, 2024—A past stakes winner and Remington Park Derby runner-up, Candy Blood, put in an impressive workout over the weekend in preparation for the upcoming American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa meet at Remington Park.

The 2022 Grade 1 Dee Raper Sooner State Stakes winner and 2021 Grade 2 Remington Park Derby runner-up will be racing for his third trainer in as many years as a 6-year-old gelding this year. He lost by a neck to Empressum in the Remington Park Derby, the eventual American Quarter Horse Association World Champion that year.

Trainer Guillermo Valdivia sent Candy Blood to the track this past Saturday morning and he turned in a workout of :12.14 handily at 220 yards over a fast track. The workout was not from a standing start in the gate. The bullet workout for Saturday at the distance was Little Barbie Tales at :11.44 breezing, also with a moving start.

Little Barbie Tales is a 3-year-old Wagon Tales filly, owned by Leann J. Burns and Thomas D. Lepic, trained by Stacy Charette-Hill. The filly is stakes placed, having run third in her last race, a third-place finish in the Grade 3, $204,000 Valley Junction Futurity on Sept. 29, 2023, at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. She finished a little more than a half-length back of winner Cardiac Cowboy, who runs out of trainer Jason Olmstead’s barn for owner Jo Rice.

The fastest time of the day for 220 yards from the gate was Coo Joe’s :11.50. Coo Joe is a 2-year-old Coronado Cartel colt, owned by Reliance Ranches and trained by Cody Noel.

When Candy Blood was a 4-year-old, running for trainer Monty Arrossa, he won the Sooner State Stakes by a neck as the 3-5 heavy favorite under 2022 leading jockey at Remington Park, Francisco Calderon.

He was the 6-5 favorite when he ran second in the Remington Park Derby for trainer Arrossa. Candy Blood changed barns for owners Rick Sumner and Dunn Ranch, last year, moving to the confines of trainer Heath Taylor. He raced only one time at Remington Park last year, finishing third in an allowance race.

Candy Blood, a gelded son of Apollitical Blood, out of the Wave Carver mare Ranch Candy, outlasted one of the toughest fields of 3-year-olds and older in 2022 to win the Sooner State. He bested JK Wildcat Red, the runner-up multiple stakes winner, who took home the trophy for the Grade 2 Boyd Morris Stakes at Remington that year. Candy Blood also beat JC Wild King, a multiple stakes winner, who took down the Grade 2 Mighty Deck Stakes at Remington in 2022. JC Wild King was another head back in third place in the Sooner State Stakes that year.

In his racing career, Candy Blood, has raced 20 times, winning nine, finishing second another three times and third twice for earnings of $482,010.

Weekend Work Tab (Friday-Sunday, Feb. 16-18)

On Friday, 66 horses worked in the morning, 63 of them at 220 yards, with the bullet (fastest time of the day at the distance) going to The Jesse James with an :11.06 handily. That was not from a standing start at the distance.

The fastest work of the day at 220 yards from the gate was the :11.35 handily from Im Passing B from the barn of trainer Jorge “Raymond” Gonzalez. He also trains Burning Follies, who has had two sharp workouts already this spring here.

On Saturday, Little Barbie Tales got the bullet among 33 horses at 220 yards with :11.44 breezing from the pole.

On Sunday, a total of 35 horses tried the 220-yards distance and Mr Kash Wagon earned the bullet with his time of :11.33 handily with a running start. The 3-year-old colt by Pyc Paint Your Wagon is owned and trained by Charette-Hill. He won a Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity trial at Prairie Meadows last year after breaking his maiden at Remington Park.

The fastest time from a standing start in the gate was recorded by Burning Follies at :11.56 handily for Gonzalez. Burning Follies is a 5-year-old son of Dash to Follies, out of the Walk Thru Fire mare Burn the Kash and is owned by Double A Ranch.

Burning Follies could be one of the stars of Gonzalez’s barn, having won two allowance races at Remington Park last year. He has raced 13 times in his career, winning five of those, finishing second once and third four other times. His bankroll for his career stands at $70,805.

The biggest horse Gonzalez has conditioned is Premier Ethics, who won the only two races in which she appeared at Remington Park. The Quarter Horse mare won a Heritage Place Derby trial here in 2015 but didn’t qualify for the finals and then went on to win the Grade 2 Junos Request Stakes that same year.

The Remington Park spring season will begin Thursday, March 7 and continue for 50-dates through June 1.

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Remington Park has provided more than $344 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter HorseThe 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.