Hold My Beer, ridden by L. Martinez, wins the $12,500 Olympia Joe Stakes (not black type) on Friday at Lone Star Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography/Lone Star Park

GRANDE PRAIRIE, TX–NOVEMBER 24, 2023–After a brush at the gates, Hold My Beer (APHA) regained his composure and cleared the wire of the $12,500 Olympia Joe Stakes (not black type) first at Lone Star Park on Friday night.

With a late kick at the final stretch, Hold My Beer crossed the finish line 3/4-length ahead of Over The Shock. Ridden by L. Martinez, the Matt Whitekiller trained gelding clocked a 95 speed index in :19.699 seconds. The slight upset paid $11.60 to win for a $2.00 wager on 9/2 odds.

Tonight's victory is Hold My Beer's second stakes win this month, including the Don Drake Memorial [G3] at Will Rogers Downs on November 12. The 3-time winner also placed fourth in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Stakes [G1], Karne Utecht Memorial Stakes and Ray Graves Memorial Stakes earlier this season.

The winning connections of Hold My Beer accept the $$12,500 Olympia Joe Stakes (not black type) trophy at Lone Star Park on Friday. © Dustin Orona Photography/Lone Star Park

The $4,750 winner's share of the 400-yard purse increased Hold My Beer's earnings to $52,910. The three-year-old gelding was bred by De Rae Racing, LLC in Oklahoma out of Irish Vendetta by First Smart Money.

Over The Shock, ridden by Francisco Calderon, held the lead at the first call but was out kicked late by Hold My Beer for second, 1/2-length ahead of Rp Reckless Wire. The four-time winning paint has $58,039 in the bank and has earned black type status in four different stakes events this season.

Matt Whitekiller also conditioned and bred Over The Shock for owner Robin Haggard. The four-year-old gelding is out of Dont Look Ethel by Streak And Dash.

Favored to win, four-time stakes winner and 2021 APHA champion Rp Reckless Wire was outfinished for third. Piloted by Cody Wainscott, the four-year-old filly has earned blacktype status in seven of eight starts this season including a victory in the Paul Harbor Memorial Stakes [G2].

Conditioned by leading APHA trainer Dee Keener, Rp Reckless Wire has lit the board 24 of 26 starts with seven career wins and $177,473 in earnings. Roy Kent Perkins bred the paint filly in Oklahoma out of Rp Miss Reckess Dash by Reckless Dash.

Hold My Beer, Over The Shock and Rp Reckless Wire were all sired by the #1 leading APHA sire CRM Livewire. 

Mimosa Lady, Secret Livewire, Wl Van Halen, Wb Stevie Nix, Just Wishn, Cowgirl Cartel and Vp Country Smoke round out the order of finish.