Handin Out Candy wins at PV stakes

Handin Out Candy does nothing but hand out wins to his owner Emilio Perez, of Arlington, Texas, when he races around the turn.

He continued his magic Saturday, May 2 at Remington Park, winning his seventh race in a row at 870 yards and the $51,360 Pauls Valley Stakes as the even-money favorite.

It was the first time jockey James Flores had been on the winner, taking over for regular rider Omar Iturralde, and Flores said he was just along for the ride.

“It was an easy trip,” the winning jock said. “He is such a professional and just does his thing every time. I can’t say I had much to do with it. He showed he can run.”

Handin Out Candy is not only fast, but also is a huge horse, weighing in at 1,332 pounds Saturday. In comparison, the fourth-place finisher and past distance champion at Remington Park, O Donovan Rossa, checked in at 1,051 pounds for the Pauls Valley Stakes.

This was the second stakes in a row that Handin Out Candy has swept at Remington Park, having won the Grade 2 Remington Park Distance Challenge on March 28 by 2-3/4 lengths. Iturralde rode him that night. His margin of victory Saturday was three-quarters of a length over a stellar field. Wynnchester (9-2) was the runner-up, another half-length ahead of third-place Cash Back Hero (8-1).

Handin Out Candy, a 7-year-old Alabama-bred gelded son of Jess Good Candy, from the Dash Ta Fame mare Ole Auntie Em, began his winning streak July 31, 2025, at Retama Park near San Antonio, Texas, winning an allowance race, followed by wins in the Distance Challenge Stakes at the Downs at Albuquerque Sept. 20 and the Grade 1 Distance Challenge Championship, also at Albuquerque.

The streak continued Dec. 14 in the King Rick Rack Stakes at Zia Park in New Mexico before hanging it up for the year. He has now won all three of his 2026 starts at Remington Park.

The winner earned $29,400 for his trip to the winner’s circle and improved his record to 39 starts, 12 wins, nine seconds and three thirds for a bankroll of $350,190. He was bred by Paris Wixon and was a $20,000 bargain purchase out of the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in 2020.

Handin Out Candy paid $4.20 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.20 to show and stopped the timer in :45.189 on a fast track, earning a speed index of 95. The rest of the order of finish past the top three was O Donovan Rossa (3-1) fourth, Rock Ya Later (22-1) fifth, Mister Lights Out (9-1) sixth and Chickn Hock (10-1) seventh. Into the Lite scratched.

“I just want to thank God and everyone that supports me, this horse and the team,” Perez said. “We will keep him here for the Distance Championship on closing night and then take him to Albuquerque, then to Retama and Hobbs (N.M., Zia Park).”

The Pauls Valley Stakes, named after the city located about one hour south of Remington Park and Oklahoma City, is for American Quarter Horses, 3-years-old and older around the turn.

This is the first victory in the Pauls Valley Stakes for all the connections of Handin Out Candy.