OKLAHOMA CITY – The luck of the draw and an unpredictable Mother Nature were key factors Friday at Remington Park. All five horses that qualified for the finals of the $971,955 Remington Park Futurity did so after a heavy thunderstorm moved through, changing a headwind to a tailwind for the final five trials of 12.
Whatdyathinkofmenow, from the 12th and final trial, was the horse that took advantage of Oklahoma’s crazy weather, and became the fastest qualifier of the night. The 2-year-old colt covered the 330 yards in :16.653, earning a 92 speed index with an 11 mph-tailwind.
Heavy rains, wind and lightning hit Remington Park just prior to race eight, sending the horses from the track back to the paddock. That is when the winds of change took place. Friday night’s trials began with a headwind of 15 mph on a fast/sealed track for the first seven trials. The conditions changed to a tailwind as high as 12 mph for the final five trials, all contested over a sloppy/sealed track. All five qualifiers Friday came out of trials after the storm.
The five fastest 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred horses from Thursday and Friday night qualified for the finals of the $971,955 Remington Park Futurity which will be run on Saturday, April 18.
Whatdyathinkofmenow, a 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred colt by Cyber Monday, out of the Desirio mare PJ Chick in Black, cruised home under jockey Francisco Calderon. The winning colt, trained by John Stinebaugh, is a first-time starter, purchased for $65,000 from the 2025 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale. Whatdyathinkofmenow had won a training race at Retama Park near San Antonio on Feb. 18 in a time of :13.82, going 250 yards.
On Friday night, the winner was sent off at 4-1 odds and paid $10.20 to win, $3.60 to place, and $3.60 to show. He won the 12th race by a half-length over runner-up D Molish, who also qualified for the finals. D Molish was the post-time favorite at 2-1 odds. Whatdyathinkofmenow was bred by Southfork Equine/LS Racing.
The five fastest qualifiers from Friday night’s day two of trials were (with horse, jockey, trainer, time, speed index and trial number):
- Whatdyathinkofmenow, Francisco Calderon, John Stinebaugh, :16.653, 92, trial 12
- Cyber Hostage, Bryan Candanosa, Joe M. Davis, :16.713, 90, trial 10
- D Molish, Bryan Candanosa, Sammy Valdivia, :16.738, 89, trial 12
- Dos Grandiose, Mario Delgado, Dee Keener, :16.744, 89, trial nine
- Tellem Im in the 918, Roman Cruz, Dee Keener, :16.766, 88, trial 10
Here are the five fastest horses from Thursday night in the Remington Park Futurity trials (horse, jockey, trainer, time, speed index, trial number):
- Apoliticalgolddigger, Juan Pulido, Josue Garcia, :16.807, 87, trial five
- PYC Dollars Cowboy, Sergio Becerra, Ramon Mendoza, :16.841 seconds, 86, trial two
- Kisses N Candy, Edwin Escobedo, Fernando Manriquez, :16.851, 86, trial five
- Heritage of Power, Bonifacio Quiroz, Leo Alcala, :16.855, 86, trial five
- BV So Long, Rolando Raudales, Guillermo Valdivia, :16.858, 86, trial eight
The 12 trials Thursday night were run into a headwind that fluctuated from 14 mph down to 9 mph over a fast track.
Remington Park racing continues Saturday, April 4 with 12 races on tap, including the Remington Park Derby and Oaks trials, and the Mr Jet Moore Stakes.
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
