Racing


Mighty Deck Three Stakes To Valiant Rogue In A Photo-Finish At Remington Park
Valiant Rogue (inside) holds off a late charge from Sam Crow to win the $61,800 Mighty Deck Three Stakes at Remington Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Mighty Deck Three Stakes To Valiant Rogue In A Photo-Finish At Remington Park

 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MARCH 12, 2017—The $61,800 Mighty Deck Three Stakes took a photo-finish to sort out on Sunday at Remington Park with the top five finishers within a half-length of each other at the line. Valiant Rogue led throughout and prevailed in a bobbing-nose win over Sam Crow.

Owned by Wyok Ranch, of Hillsdale, Wyo., trained by Judd Kearl and ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, Valiant Rogue held off the hard-charging Sam Crow to barely win the photo and the race, covering 250 yards in :13.167 seconds over a fast track.

Valiant Rogue used a sharp start to spring to the front while Sam Crow had to move from between horses and rally in the short sprint. Tempting Valor was another head back in third.

The betting favorite at 5-2 odds, Valiant Rogue paid $7.20 to win, $4.40 to place and $2.80 to show. Sam Crow returned $3.80 to place and $3 to show. Tempting Valor paid $3.60 to show.

The winning connections of Valiant Rogue accept the Mighty Deck Three Stakes trophy Sunday afternoon at Remington Park. © Dustin Orona Photography
The Mighty Deck Three Stakes score is the sixth career win from 14 starts for Valiant Rogue and his first since winning the Grade 1, $1.2 million Rainbow Derby last July at Ruidoso Downs, N.M.

An Oklahoma-bred 4-year-old gelding by leading sire Valiant Hero from the Azoom mare Azoom Babe, Valiant Rogue was bred by Bollenbach Farms. The winner’s share of $34,080 pushes his total earnings to $632,902.

Sam Crow, a multiple G1-placed son of Valiant Hero, picked up $11,360 for his second-place effort. Trey Wood conditions the 5-year-old for owner Terry Baber. Paris Wixon bred Sam Crow in Oklahoma from the Chicks Beduino mare Bourbonstreetchick. He has earned $925,097.

Stakes winner Tempting Valor races for owner Brenda Eliza Flores and trainer Stacy Charette-Hill. Jorge Torres rode the Tempting Dash 5-year-old out of Thanks Jen by Strawfly Special. Bred by Luis Gerardo Aguirre, Tempting Valor picked up $6,248 to boost his bankroll to $142,870.

Bye Byefreighttrain, Win Rabbits Fly, Llano Cartel, Load Your Guns, B Double U, Knockemout Capi and As and Js completed the field.

The stakes race is named after the ultra-fast Mighty Deck Three who dominated 2-year-old competition in 1980. Campaigned by Dan and Jolene Urschel, the Oklahoma-bred was undefeated thru 10 races and posted the top qualifying time for that year’s All American Futurity before being upset in the final, beaten a nose by Higheasterjet. He previously won the Rainbow Futurity and was voted the Champion 2-year-old for 1980.

Remington Park now moves into a normal weekly schedule of Thursday thru Sunday for the remainder of the 2017 American Quarter Horse Season. Racing starts at 6pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Sunday afternoon racing at 1:30pm. The season continues thru June 3.

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

Tracked by over 119,000 fans on Facebook and 8,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park is the home of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 25. Remington Park has provided over $165 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Open daily at 10:30am with free parking and admission, Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino 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.