A year ago, Paluxy was running for a $25,000 claiming tag at Remington Park and couldn't have warmed up 2021 Oklahoma Derby (G3) winner Warrant, conditioned by nation's current leading trainer, Brad Cox.
It's amazing the difference a year makes. Blue and Gold Racing (Mike Combs) of Kingfisher, Okla., claimed Paluxy out of that race in August 2022 and it paid off Friday night at Remington Park as the gelding scored the biggest win of his career at 24-1 odds.
Paluxy, the former claimer, fought off millionaire Warrant in the final strides to win the $100,600 Governor's Cup, a listed stakes, by a head in a thrilling last-to-first victory on opening night of the 2023 Thoroughbred meet at the Oklahoma City racetrack.
Under jockey Floyd Wethey Jr., Paluxy hit the wire with Warrant in the 1 1/8-mile race and prevailed in the photo finish.
A 5-year-old gelding trained by Scott Young, Paluxy earned his first stakes win after covering the distance in 1:52.77. Warrant, the 3-5 favorite, checked in three lengths in front of third-place finisher Holden the Lute, the early pacesetter.
“All the credit goes to these guys,” Young said, pointing to a contingent of his owners in Blue and Gold Racing in the winner's circle. “They had enough faith in me and our barn to give this horse the time he needed to get prepared for this. We always thought he had a chance to be really good. I thought we had him ready for the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) (July 8 at Prairie Meadows), but he had a really bad trip in that race (finishing seventh).”
Friday night was a different story. Paluxy, a son of Brody's Cause out of Grade 2-placed Miss Pippa, by Master Command, had a clean trip and it was just a matter of heart and a bit of luck at the wire.
“Scott and I talked about the race and decided it was best to take back, save ground, and see if we could beat Warrant,” said Wethey. “He ran huge.”
Wethey was asked if he knew he had the victory at the wire and he replied, “You never know against a horse like Warrant. He's a great horse, but we had him today.”
Paluxy paid $51.40 for the win.
The remaining order of finish in the Governor's Cup was Number One Dude (4th), Sonneman (5th), Presidential (6th), and Kokokomo (7th).
Paluxy has a 7-3-4 from 20 career starts and $224,244 in lifetime earnings. He was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm and sold to Lori and Mark Collinsworth for $45,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Warrendale Sales consigned him..
The post Opening Night Thriller: Former Claimer Paluxy Pulls 24-1 Upset In Governor’s Cup At Remington appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
