OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – For the first time in his horse training career, Waylon Melton (Mvskoke) is seeing his name in the winner’s circle at Remington Park in OKC.
Melton had his big day during the races on March 25 where he had three horses place in the top ten out of 180 in the Oklahoma Futurity.
He won his second stakes race of the evening on Saturday at Remington Park, winning the biggest one of the night with PYC Legacy in Grade 2. He ended up winning $533,270 at the Oklahoma Futurity.
Melton also won the Eastex Stakes earlier on the 12-race card with his horse Head Patron.
Melton improved his winning stats to an unbelievable 67 percent. He started 12 horses and won with eight of them, ran second with two others and a third once. His in-the-money percentage was an incredible 91 percent.
The horses Fabulous Rachel, RJ Havin’ Fun, and PYC Legacy competed on April 22.
“It helps to have good horses,” Melton said. “You have some horses that don’t want to be a race horse.”
The trainer has 22 horses currently in house training at Remington Park.
Born and raised in the Muscogee reservation capitol of Okmulgee, Melton was surrounded by horses and other farm animals throughout his lifetime.
Coaching various sports teams like baseball, basketball or football has helped him as a horse trainer.
“The horses are athletes,” he said. “You have to make sure they are healthy.”
Not only does the trainer have to keep the horse in great running condition, he also has to build trust with each animal.
“A horse’s natural instinct is to run away from you,” he said.
The horses stay with Melton full time while training and competing. Some owners leave the animals in his care year long.
WM Training can be contacted on FB at Julio Jones.
