Handin Out Candy enters the Grade 2 Pauls Valley Stakes at Remington Park as the 2-1 morning line favorite, bringing a six-race win streak into Saturday’s 870-yard feature on Kentucky Derby Day.

© Dustin Orona Photography

By Stallionesearch / Louanne Wainscott
 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–April 29, 2026—The excitement of Kentucky Derby Day will carry straight through the heart of Oklahoma racing as Remington Park presents a ten-race program on Saturday, May 2nd, with first post set for 12:05 PM. A festive atmosphere paired with high-caliber competition will set the tone for an afternoon that builds toward two major stakes events, the Grade 2 $50,000 Pauls Valley Stakes and the Grade 1 $100,000 Leo Stakes, giving fans both distance drama and sprint supremacy on one powerful card.

The ninth race, scheduled for approximately 4:50 PM, will spotlight the 870-yard Grade 2 Pauls Valley Stakes, where a field of eight seasoned runners will test endurance and grit around the turn.

Headlining the group is the 2-1 morning line favorite Handin Out Candy, a battle-tested seven-year-old gelding arriving in peak form. Since shipping into Remington Park in March, he has delivered a commanding two-and-three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 2 Q-Racing Remington Park Distance Challenge, continuing a dominant stretch that includes six consecutive wins and eight victories since the start of his 2025 campaign. With 11 multi-graded wins and earnings of $324,790, his résumé speaks to consistency and class.

Owned by Emilio Perez, the son of Jess Good Candy out of Ole Auntie Em, has developed into a formidable distance specialist. Trainer Paul Sedillo will send him from post two, and while regular rider Omar Iturralde is sidelined due to injury, experienced jockey James A. Flores takes over the reins.

The challenge will be real, however, as familiar rival O Donovan Rossa looms as a dangerous contender at 4-1 odds. The eight-year-old gelding, trained by meet-leading conditioner Dee Keener, returns to a more favorable inside draw after a troubled trip from the far outside in his last outing. With a win earlier this season and a history of competitive efforts, he looks to turn the tables after being defeated twice by Handin Out Candy. Piloted by Roman Cruz, he brings both experience and determination to a race that promises to unfold with tactical precision and late-running drama.

The Pauls Valley Stakes sets the stage for a thrilling stretch run, but the spotlight intensifies in the tenth and final race of the day, the 400-yard Grade 1 Leo Stakes, scheduled for approximately 5:35 PM. A full field of ten elite runners will load into the straightaway, each carrying credentials that make this one of the most competitive sprints of the meet.

Cowboy Gun Z enters as the 5-2 morning line favorite, bringing star power and proven class to the lineup. The five-year-old gelding has compiled an outstanding record, highlighted by six multi-graded stakes victories and earnings surpassing $1.6 million. After a fourth-place effort in the Grade 2 Remington Park Challenge Championship earlier this season, he returns to a distance where he has thrived, including a victory in last year’s Grade 1 Refrigerator Stakes.

Owned by West Texas Partners and trained by Justin W. Joiner, he will break from post three with Francisco Calderon aboard, poised to deliver another top-level performance.

Yet the Leo Stakes is far from a one-horse showcase. The depth of talent across the field ensures a fiercely contested race, with multiple contenders having proven their ability to win at the graded level. With explosive early speed and powerful closers drawn throughout the gate, the 400-yard dash could come down to mere inches at the wire, setting up the kind of blanket finish that defines championship racing.

From the first race to the final stride, Remington Park’s Kentucky Derby Day card promises a blend of pageantry, competition, and unforgettable moments. Whether it’s the stamina-driven showdown in the Grade 2 Pauls Valley Stakes or the high-octane sprint of the Grade I Leo Stakes, Saturday’s program is set to deliver a full afternoon of elite Quarter Horse racing that will keep fans on their feet from start to finish.

The races at Remington Park can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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