OKLAHOMA CITY – Queen for Cash was the only Appaloosa in the field for the Grade 1, $33,550 Mister Lewie Memorial Stakes on Saturday night at Remington Park, but she represented her breed well, beating 10 Paints to the wire as nearly the longest shot at 32-1 odds.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Queen for Cash was the only Appaloosa in the field for the Grade 1, $33,550 Mister Lewie Memorial Stakes on Saturday night at Remington Park, but she represented her breed well, beating 10 Paints to the wire as nearly the longest shot at 32-1 odds.
It’s amazing what one year can do to the looks of a stakes winner. On March 20, 2021, Queen for Cash won the $40,250 Speedhorse Graham Paint and Appaloosa Stakes at Remington Park and was sent off as the third favorite at 7-2 odds. That was her last win until Saturday night, seven races and more than a year since she visited the winner’s circle.
On Saturday night, she came in the Mister Lewie off a 10th-place finish in the Paul Harber Stakes and was dismissed summarily by the betting crowd. At 32-1 she was the fourthlongest shot on the toteboard, but she ran more like she did in winning last year’s stakes race. Owner Gary Vaughan of Coalgate, Okla., and trainer Jesus Ruiz switched jockeys to Paul Nieto and the 4-yearold filly was back to her old self. Nieto put her on the lead right out of the gate and never was headed, winning by a length at 400 yards in a time of :19.675 over the fast track for a speed index of 93. Queen for Cash completed a threewin night for Ruiz.
The time by Queen for Cash was the fastest in the Mister Lewie since 2016 when Dashing JJ won the race in :19.633.
The stakes race is named for the late, great trainer Lewis Wartchow, who was known as King of the Paints after dominating this breed’s racing for decades.
Queen for Cash, a daughter of Hes Relentless (QH), out of the Ivory James (QH) mare Ivory Queen, won for the fifth time in her career in 13 starts. Live Moonshine, the defeated 3-2 wagering favorite, had beaten her every time they had faced each other the past two years in five different races, but he could do nothing but settle for fifth on this night, well behind her.
Wired Four Forty (15- 1) got up for second and was another three-quarters length ahead of Bully Pulpit (9-2) in third, who had just finished a neck back of Live Moonshine in the Paul Harber Stakes the last time out. Power Fade (35-1) completed an unbelievable 10-cent superfecta payoff with both Live Moonshine and second favorite RP Reckless Wire (3-1) out of the money. The 9-10- 1-6 combination returned $10,115.16 for a dime bet.
Other wild off-thewall payouts created by all the longshots in the Mister Lewie were:
– $2 exacta (9-10) – $1,087.00
– 50-cent trifecta (9- 10-1) – $5,722.95
– 50-cent Pick 4 (4-3- 10-9) – $6,063.40
Queen for Cash improved to 13-5-1-2 with earnings of $90,568. She pocketed $20,676 for her owner. She was bred in Oklahoma by Vaughan. This was the first win in the Mister Lewie for all the connections of Queen for Cash.
