Speedhorse magazine, the premiere publication for the Quarter Horse racing industry, will once again host a bevy of races for Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas. This year’s participation is particularly special since the magazine is celebrating the beginning of 50 years of serving the Quarter Horse racing industry.
The $68,000 estimated Grade 1 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Derby will kick off the season on opening weekend at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, with the trials held March 11 and the finals on March 24. The trials to the $250,000 estimated Grade 1 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity will be contested May 19, with the finals at Remington Park on closing day June 2. Originally called the Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity, the race has been contested continuously since 1998 and offers some of the largest purses available for Paint and Appaloosa horse racing. It is also the first leg of the prestigious Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown.
Next at Fair Meadows in Tulsa will be the $225,000 estimated Speedhorse Futurity-G3, $65,000 estimated Speedhorse Derby, and $100,000 estimated Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1, which is the second leg of the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown. The trials to these races will be held July 14, with the finals on July 28. They will then be followed up with the $75,000 estimated Speedhorse Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1, the third and final leg of the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown, at Lone Star Park in Texas.
“We have the best staff in the world, and between us we have more than 100 years of experience with Quarter Horse racing,” said Speedhorse owner John Bachelor. “We are all very proud of the excellent reputation and influence Speedhorse has acquired over the past 50 years, and we are dedicated to continuing that level of excellence and service to our readers.”
Speedhorse began in 1969 as the dream of celebrated photojournalist, author and Quarter Horse lover Walt Wiggins. Initially called “Quarter Racing World,” in the decades since its founding the publication has played a significant role in elevating the Quarter Horse racing industry to its current level of prominence, while recording its unique growth and history along the way.
The magazine’s headquarters were moved from Roswell, NM to central Oklahoma in 1976, to be at “ground zero” of the industry. A rancher by trade, Bachelor purchased the magazine in 2010 and has taken it to the next level, adding sponsored races and introducing tailored versions of the publication for Canadian and Mexican audiences. Under his direction, Speedhorse established the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown and High Point Champion Award, as well as the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award. In January 2016, the magazine officially partnered with the American Paint Horse Association and now serves as the official Paint racing magazine.
More information about Speedhorse is available on its Facebook page and website, www.Speedhorse.com.
