OKLAHOMA CITY – Two great things happened for jockey Cody Smith on Saturday night – breaking G.R. Carter’s all-time record for most wins with Paints and being right about a Paint named Big Rotney, who won the Grade 1, $188,500 Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity.
Smith won for the 348th time aboard the Paint breed, one more win than Carter. Smith has come a long way from watching Carter ride, as a little boy, against his dad, Rodger “Wormy” Smith.
“Any time you pass G.R. Carter with anything to do with horse racing, you’ve accomplished something really special,” said Smith. “It took a lot of hard work and some ups and downs. I owe a lot of credit to Matt (Whitekiller, trainer) and that operation. Without that, I wouldn’t have been here. It’s special. I always wanted to be a race rider, but…a lot of people don’t know it, but I was the ring boy in G.R.’s wedding. I’ve been watching him a long time.”
Smith will always remember that it was Big Rotney winning the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity that broke the record because he always thought this 2-year-old was special from the first time he worked him in Sallisaw, Okla., at the training center there. Smith posted a video of the workout on social media and at the end of work, you can hear him say to the Paint, “Slow down, Rotney! We ain’t getting paid today!”
On Saturday night, Big Rotney’s owner Apple R Racing (Tim Reid) of McAlester, Okla., got paid $76,130 for winning the big race.
“Cody’s not wrong about much and when we had this horse at Sallisaw, he said this horse feels like Livewires Turnpike (a multiple stakes winner),” said Whitekiller, who is second behind trainer Dee Keener in all-time Paint wins.
“I told him, ‘We are getting paid tonight!’” said Smith, talking about Big Rotney. “He stepped up and bounced up off that trial race real good. Came back sound just like you’d want one to. We didn’t stay in the gate very long. Just like the workout I showed on Facebook, I was just along for the ride (tonight) and stayed out of his way.”
Big Rotney, a gelded Oklahoma-bred son of multiple world champion Painted Turnpike, from the CRM Livewire mare CRM Country Girl, hit the finish a full length ahead of longshot runner-up Paddy Powers, who went off 26-1 odds from the despite coming from the barn of Keener. The 2-1 beaten wagering favorite was DW Showin D Off, also trained by Keener, running third.
Whitekiller was asked if it meant more to beat a historic figure in the game like Keener.
“It means we won tonight and he might win the next one,” he said. “I tell you what. People don’t realize. Horse racing is a big family. Everybody roots for everybody these days. I was hoping if we didn’t win, that Danny Watkins could. I’ve known him a long time and that horse (DW Showin D Off) is a special horse.”
Big Rotney stopped the timer for 300 yards in :15.562 on the fast track, good for an 87 speed index. It was the sixth time Whitekiller has won this race in the stakes series. Smith has ridden the winner in the race four times.
Big Rotney paid $10.20 to win, $5.80 to place and $4.20 to show. He was bred by Whitekiller.
It was an even more special race Saturday for owner Reid because Whitekiller said he sold Big Rotney to Reid and his dad, Benny, who has since passed away.
“I give all the credit to God and Matt and his team,” Tim Reid said. “Him selling us this horse means a lot. I felt like my dad was right there with Cody tonight.”
The biggest kick Whitekiller has gotten from the horse, other than winning the futurity, is getting to name him.
“I know I’m older than hell now, but I used to play a lot of basketball (growing up),” Whitekiller said. “After college basketball, I played in a lot of 3-on-3s and 4-on-4s. There was this big dude from Arkansas that played with us and his name was Rodney, but we called him Big Rotney. I told Tim (Reid, owner) I would sell him this horse, but he had to let me name him Big Rotney.”
The rest of the order of finish past the top three was Chillinator (20-1) fourth, Tres of Light (10-1) fifth, Iam George III (11-1) sixth, Pepperoncini (14-1) seventh, Game Favorite (23-1) eighth, Limited Jesse (6-1) ninth and MW Because Im Alive (3-1), who ran ninth but was disqualified for interference on Limited Jesse and was placed 10th.
Remington Park racing continues Sunday, March 22 at 4pm-Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $408 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. The 2026 Remington Park Futurity, the richest race of the season for Oklahoma-breds, takes place on Saturday, April 18. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
by Richard Linihan
