Ima Fancy Eye Opener (8), ridden by Bryan Candanos, clears his competition in winning the Mighty Deck Three Stakes on Sunday at Remington Park.

Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–MARCH 9, 2025–No one was happier with Ima Fancy Eye Opener’s win in the $75,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes Sunday night than trainer Rhonda Valdivia.

"This was my first win ever as a trainer at Remington Park,” she said through her large  smile, “and it was a stakes race! We had confidence in him; we did. He is a very talented horse."

This victory had a lot of firsts involved. Ima Fancy Eye Opener was making his first start as a 3-year-old. It was the first win for owners Shania and Terry Dale Cox of Sallisaw, Okla., in this stakes series. It was also the initial trip to the winner’s circle for jockey Bryan Candanosa in the Mighty Deck Three.

This edition of the Mighty Deck Three was a quick one at 250 yards as Ima Fancy Eye Opener, an Oklahoma-bred son of Im a Fancy PYC, out of the Mr Eye Opener mare Lil Miss Eye Opener, stopped the timer in 12.987 on the fast track, earning a speed index of 102. The track record is 12.839, set by Win Rabbits Fly on March 13, 2016.

The winning connections of Ima Fancy Eye Opener accept the $75,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes [RG2] trophy at Remington Park on Sunday. © Dustin Orona Photography

Valdivia not only conditions Ima Fancy Eye Opener, but she was his breeder. The swift gray streak of lightning hit the ground running when he was foaled in 2022. His win Sunday night was the seventh time he has tasted victory in only nine starts. Despite his gaudy record, he was still sent off at generous 5-1 odds and paid $12 to win, $5.80 to place, and $5.40 to show.

Ima Fancy Eye Opener won by three-quarters of a length after breaking on top by a half-length right out of the gate. Candanosa never had a doubt after the gates opened.

"He was standing in the gate perfect,” Candanosa said. “Then when he broke on top, I said, ‘they ain’t catching this horse today.'"

Mystic Paint (5-1) checked in second in a blanket finish all the way down to seventh place. The runner-up was a nose in front of third-place finisher Trademarque (12-1), who was a head in front of fourth-place finisher and defending champ in this race – LS Jacks Back (4-1).

LS Jacks Back was another head in front of fifth-place finisher Sir James (33-1), who beat sixth-place finisher and post-time favorite RGs Gold Wagon (8-5) by a head. RGs Gold Wagon was a nose better than seventh-place runner Relentless Diamond (20-1). The rest of the order of finish in the race for Oklahoma-breds, 3 years old and older, was Cowboys R Myheros (6-1) in eighth, Eye Eye Dynasty (40-1) ninth, and Deutsch (32-1) 10th.

Ima Fancy Eye Opener earned $42,000 from the purse and improved lifetime to nine starts, seven wins, and one second for a bulging wallet filled with $198,834. He also won a stakes at Remington Park last year, capturing the $70,000 Easy Jet Stakes.

Ima Fancy Eye Opener is becoming quite a horse for the course as well, winning all four starts at Remington Park in his young career. This was his third stakes victory overall as he also took down the Grade 3, $200,000 Speedhorse Futurity at Fair Meadows on July 20 last year.

Runner-up Mystic Paint has lit the board 11 of 17 starts with $283,339 in the bank. Jason Olmstead saddled the daughter of Pyc Paint Your Wagon for owner William Harned. Cavenaugh Quarter Horse bred the three-year-old colt in Oklahoma out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess So Sixy.

Trainer Juvenal Licona-Vazquez conditions third-place finisher Trademarque for owner Rafael Haros. The son of Duponte has a record of 6-8-5 from 31 starts with $137,691 in earnings. Bobby D. Cox bred the six-year-old mare in Oklahoma out of Featuring Jessie by Feature Mr Jess.

The stakes race is named in honor of the ultra-fast Mighty Deck Three, who dominated 2-year-old competition in 1980. The Oklahoma-bred was undefeated through 10 races, including the Rainbow Futurity, and posted the top qualifying time for that year’s All American Futurity. He was upset in the All American and beaten a nose by Higheasterjet. Despite the loss, Mighty Deck Three was still voted the Champion 2-year-old for 1980.

Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16, with the first race nightly at 6 pm. Sunday racing begins at 4 pm. All times are Central.

About Remington Park
Remington Park has provided more than $376 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 year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season, features the historic 84th edition of the Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 22. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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