Got Country Grip favored in Saturday's National Cowboys
& Western Heritage Museum Stakes

 Press release courtesy of Remington Park

OKLAHOMA CITY – The final stakes event of the Remington Park season for Paints and Appaloosas, three-years-old and older, takes place Saturday with the renewal of the $30,000 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Stakes. Paint racing’s all-time leader in money earned, Got Country Grip, is the morning-line favorite at 8-5 odds.

Owned by Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas and trained by Brandon Parum of Jones, Okla., Got Country Grip returned to the Remington Park winner’s circle last month in the Mr. Lewie Memorial Stakes by a half-length over GI Jana. Jockey Stormy Smith will ride Got Country Grip for the first time in the National Cowboy and becomes just the fifth rider to handle him in a race.

The 6-year-old Oklahoma-bred has never finished worse than second in his 22 career races while accumulating 18 victories. His lifetime earnings of $312,528 lead the charts in the history of Paint racing. The gelded son of Country Quick Dash (qh) from the Super de Kas (qh) mare Got A Grip became the first Paint to top the $300,000 mark when he won the Mr. Lewie here in April.

Co-second choices in the morning-line odds are GI Jana and SM Country Snowman, both at 4-1. GI Jana, a 4-year-old Appaloosa filly, made a late run at Got Country Grip in his win last month while finishing third in an allowance race earlier this month. She is the only Appaloosa in the field Saturday night.

SM Country Snowman is second on the all-time Paint earnings list with $264,251 over his 22 race career, boasting 14 wins along with three places and three shows. He was third in the Mr. Lewie a month ago while sixth in an allowance race earlier this month. SM Country Snowman is the defending champion in the National Cowboy, winning the race last year by three-quarters of a length over Got Country Grip.

Awesome Fling is the only 3-year-old in the race, testing older horses for the first time after winning last month’s American Paint Derby. He is at 5-1 in the morning-line.

The eight-horse field for the 440-yard National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Stakes, with program number, jockey and morning-line odds:

1.  Jubious Illusion, Cody Wainscott, 15-1
2.  Heza Royal Sin, Tommy Byrd, 10-1
3.  Royalstraight Flush, Jimmy Brooks, 10-1
4.  Got Country Grip, Stormy Smith, 8-5
5.  GI Jana, Adalberto Candanosa, 4-1
6.  Awesome Fling, Cody Smith, 5-1
7.  SM Country Snowman, G.R. Carter, 4-1
8.  Express Judy, Roy Brooks, 15-1

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Stakes is the 10th on Saturday’s 11-race program and is scheduled for 10:04pm.

The first race tonight, Friday, Saturday and Sunday is 6:25pm. Special afternoon racing will be offered on Memorial Day Monday at 1:30pm.

Open every day at 10 a.m. Remington Park offers full-card simulcast racing and Oklahoma City’s only electronic gaming casino. The casino is open until Midnight Sunday thru Wednesday, operable until 2 a.m. on Thursday and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.