Sallisaw-owned horse wins Bob Moore Memorial Stakes at Remington Park
OKLAHOMA CITY — Heavens Uncle won for the fourth time in five starts at Remington Park as he cruised over a sloppy racing surface to win the Grade 2, $54,800 Bob Moore Memorial Stakes in a heavy downpour last Saturday night.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Heavens Uncle won for the fourth time in five starts at Remington Park as he cruised over a sloppy racing surface to win the Grade 2, $54,800 Bob Moore Memorial Stakes in a heavy downpour last Saturday night.
The 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelded son of Uncle D, out of the Streak and Dash mare Heavens Assured, sped to his second stakes victory here after winning the Grade 1 (restricted) $854,775 Remington Park Futurity on April 29, 2024, by a head. Bryan Candanosa was up for that futurity score and had the leg up from local trainer Guillermo Valdivia again last Saturday night in the Bob Moore Memorial Stakes while sent off as the betting favorite at 2-1 odds. His only loss at Remington Park was a second-place finish in his first career start among maidens when he fell short by a neck on March 16, 2024. He has not lost at Remington Park since that initial attempt.
This was the first time Heavens Uncle had raced over an off track, and he seemed to like it just fine. He won $34,500 from the purse, improving his career record to nine starts, five wins, two seconds and one third, getting ever closer to the half-million dollar mark in earnings with $497,519. Heavens Uncle was bred and is owned by Sherry Gilmore of Sallisaw.
Candanosa broke on top with Heavens Uncle and held onto his half-length margin from mid-stretch to the wire. The top four favorites in the race completed the superfecta in the exact order. AB Boogie (3-1) was the runner-up, a head in front of third-place finisher Apollitical Ike (5-1). Believe in Perry (6-1) ran fourth, one length behind the winner.
Running time for the winner at 300 yards was 15.049 seconds, the fastest time of the meet at that distance. Heavens Uncle earned a speed-index of 106 for the effort.
Heavens Uncle paid $4.40 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.20 to show. Cowboys Gun Z, the 5-2 morning line favorite, was an early scratch from the Bob Moore Memorial Stakes.
It was the second win in the Bob Moore Memorial Stakes for Valdivia, who also won this race in 2019 with Eye Captain. Candanosa and Gilmore won for the first time in this series.
The Bob Moore Memorial is named in honor of the Hall of Fame horseman who was prominent in American Quarter Horse racing for over four decades, operating from his Norman farm. Bob Moore Farms continues to be a leader in breeding quality horses.
