Sassalitical, shown winning the Decketta Stakes in March, is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1 Junos Request Stakes on Saturday. The race is part of the final night of the Remington Park spring season.

© Dustin Orona Photography

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—JUNE 2 2023—Sassalitical has only raced twice at Remington Park this meet but she is still a multiple stakes winner and is favored to make it three stakes victories in a row when she faces nine other fillies and mares in the Grade 1, $112,000 Junos Request Stakes on closing day Saturday.

The 4-year-old mare by leading sire Apollitical Jess, out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Sass Me, was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Junos Request by Remington Park oddsmaker Jerry Shottenkirk.

The mare seems to have an innate sense of just exactly where the wire is. On March 25, her first start of the meet, following a layoff from October, she won the $50,000 Decketta Stakes here by a neck. She followed that up with a win by a nose in the $75,000 Easy Date Stakes on April 22. Both of those wins came at 350 yards. She will try to stretch it out to 400 yards in the Junos Request.

Clint Crawford trains this mare for owners Tyler and Naia Graham of Elgin, Texas. Jockey Jorge Torres has been in the saddle for both trips to the winner’s circle this meet and retains the mount Saturday.

Sassalitical has made 15 starts in her career, winning five, running second five times and third once for $253,367 in earnings. She has the second-highest bankroll in the field. At Remington Park, she has won four of six starts for $159,617.

The top earner among these 10 is Pops First Lady, the second favorite at 4-1 odds. This 5-year-old mare by Apollitical Jess, out of the Shazoom mare Shazooms Pop Pop, has banked $295,173 in her career with 18 starts, six wins, five seconds and two thirds. In Oklahoma City, she has six starts, two wins, one second and one third for $125,953.

Pops First Lady hails from the barn of Robi Meche, who trains her for owner Ruse Ranch (Leila Cantu) of Laredo, Texas. Edwin Escobedo, leading rider at Remington Park, has been named to ride this mare and it will be his first time riding her.

Pops First Lady is also the defending champion from last year’s Junos Request. She won this race last year by a full length after winning the Easy Date Stakes earlier in the meet. Pops First Lady has finished behind Sassalitical in both stakes tries this meet but has lost to her only by a neck and a head at the shorter distances. She was closing strongly at 350 yards and may benefit from the stretch-out to 400 yards.

The field of 10 for the Junos Request with post position, horses, jockeys, trainers and odds are:

1. A Dream to Fill, Jesus Salazar, Dee Keener, 15-1
2. Fabulous Rachel, Juan Pulido, Waylan Melton, 9-2
3. Jessapolliticalgirl, Ricky Ramirez, Jose DeHerrera, 20-1
4. Sassalitical, Jorge Torres, Clint Crawford, 5-2 (morning-line favorite)
5. Jess Special Folly V, Fernando Fonseca-Soto, Durk Peery, 9-2
6. Sweet Dasha Fire, Rolando Raudales, Santos Carrizales, 15-1
7. Glamazon, Noe Garcia, Cristian Alcala, 20-1
8. Pops First Lady, Edwin Escobedo, Robi Meche, 4-1
9. Sweet Brown Sugar, Cordarelton Benn, Luz Chavira, 12-1
10. Jess Give Mea Reason, Cristian Esqueda, Stacy Charette-Hill, 6-1

The Junos Request is the eighth of 12 races on the Champions Night program at Remington Park on June 3. The scheduled post time is 8:22pm (CDT).

The Junos Request Stakes is named for multiple Remington Park seasonal champion Junos Request who won the 1992 Remington Park Championship in a year where she was eventually voted the American Quarter Horse Association’s Champion Aged Mare.*

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Tracked by more than 175,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $317 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 features the 2023 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season through June 3. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.