Annie Savoy rallies to just get up in overnight handicap

For Immediate Release
Thursday, November 20, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY - Thursday night's $45,000 overnight handicap feature at Remington Park was for fillies and mares on the turf, sprinting five furlongs. A prolonged rally finally saw Annie Savoy just get up for victory by a head under Justin Shepherd.

Owned by Hal Browning of Dallas and trained by Kari Craddock, Annie Savoy battled from last in the field of six after a quarter-mile in order to run-down the pace-setting Stealth Cat in the final strides. The 5-year-old mare just got up on the outside of both Stealth Cat and third-place finisher Game N Laughin' who was another head back.

Annie Savoy handled the five furlongs over firm turf in :57.65.

Away as a 14-1 long shot, Annie Savoy paid $30.40 to win, $14 to place and $3.60 to show. Stealth Cat, the beaten 1-2 wagering favorite, paid $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. Game N Laughin' paid $2.80 to show.

The win for Annie Savoy was the eighth in her career from 28 starts and her third overall at Remington Park. A Texas-bred daughter of Langfuhr from the Mining mare Miss Diamond Mine, Annie Savoy earned $26,958 for the score to push her lifetime money to $253,081.

Jockey Luis Quinonez had three wins on Thursday, riding Stormin Max ($3 to win) in the third race, Spirit Unbroken ($9.80) in the fourth and Road Ruler ($4) in the sixth race. The riding triple gives Quinonez 62 wins for the season, 19 ahead of Quincy Hamilton who is second.

Leading Remington Park trainer Steve Asmussen won two races on Thursday at Remington Park, boosting his 2008 total for victories to 550. He now needs six more wins in the final 41 days of the year to top the North American record of 555 that his operation set in 2004.

Asmussen leads all Remington Park trainers with 46 wins this season.

Remington Park opens at 10 a.m. Friday for simulcast racing and casino gaming. The nine-race live program begins at 6:30 p.m.