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Ajs High Attempts Third Remington Park Season Stakes Win In Sooner State On Saturday
AJs High has won a pair of stakes races this season in the G2, $50,000 Eastex Stakes and the $70,000 Mr Jet Moore Stakes for Oklahoma-breds.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Ajs High Attempts Third Remington Park Season Stakes Win In Sooner State On Saturday

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 6, 2016—Remington Park begins a special 12-race program much earlier than normal this Saturday, May 7, starting ahead of the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby. AJs High goes for his third consecutive stakes score of the season in Saturday night’s $100,000 Sooner State Stakes.

The Sooner State Stakes is the main local event on the Remington Park card that starts at 3:45pm. The simulcast of the Kentucky Derby is set for 5:34pm. All times are Central.

Installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite by Remington Park odds-maker Jerry Shottenkirk, AJs High has won a pair of 350-yard stakes races this season in the Grade 2, $50,000 Eastex Stakes on March 13 and then the $70,000 Mr Jet Moore Stakes for Oklahoma-breds on April 7. The Sooner State Stakes is also for Oklahoma-breds, at 400 yards, a distance that AJs High has won at five times in his career.

Owned and bred in Oklahoma by Michael Teel of Columbia, Mo., AJs High is trained by Charley Hunt and will be ridden by his regular jockey Stormy Smith. A winner of 10 career races from 15 attempts, AJs High has won four of his seven starts at Remington Park, including the $300,000 Remington Park Derby in 2015. The overall earnings for AJs High stand at $403,369.

Sam Crow has started twice this season and will make his second attempt to knock off AJs High after his runner-up finish to him by a half-length in Mr Jet Moore Stakes. Sam Crow is the top career earner in the field with $893,053, thanks in large part to his third-place finish in the $2.6 million All American Futurity in 2014 and a pair of second-place runs last summer in the $900,000 Rainbow Derby and the $2.3 million All American Derby, all at Ruidoso Downs, N.M.

Trained by Trey Wood, Sam Crow is the second-choice in the morning-line at 5-2 odds. Ricky Ramirez will have his normal mount.

The nine-horse field for the Sooner State Stakes, by program and post-position order with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

  1. Big Time Toast: Manuel Mata, Jorge Torres, 20-1
  2. Rocketair: Clint Crawford, Ivan Carnero, 15-1
  3. Bringin The Gray: Fernando Carrete, Agustin Silva, 8-1
  4. BP Cartels Policy: Brent Clay, Berkley Packer, 20-1
  5. Load Your Guns: Kenny Laymon, Benito Baca, 20-1
  6. Specials Jess: Kasey Willis, Cesar Gomez, 6-1
  7. AJs High: Charley Hunt, Stormy Smith, 8-5 (morning-line favorite)
  8. Sudden Separation: Larry Sharp, James Flores, 8-1
  9. Sam Crow: Trey Wood, Ricky Ramirez, 5-2

The Sooner State Stakes is the 11th race on the Saturday night program at Remington Park, scheduled for 9:08pm.

Remington Park racing continues Friday thru Sunday, May 6-8. Friday racing starts at 6pm. Saturday’s special racing on Kentucky Derby Day begins at 3:45pm. Sunday afternoon racing is at 1:30pm.

Open daily for casino gaming and simulcast racing, Remington Park features the Bricktown Brewery on the casino floor. Admission, general parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park, home of the historic $414,000 Oklahoma Futurity. The 75th running of the oldest futurity in Quarter Horse racing takes place on Saturday, March 26, 2016.

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Tracked by over 94,000 fans on Facebook and 7,000 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided over $146 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino and 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.