It took all but the last six races of the 66-day season at Remington Park to determine the top owner race, but Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla., won his 11th crown when Steve Asmussen's Don't Forget ran third in the fourth race Tuesday.
Asmussen, as an owner this meet, was three behind Caldwell, going into the final day and needed to win with all three of his horses, and for Caldwell to lose with all five of his entrants, in order to gain a tie. Each won one race on closing day, giving Caldwell his top-end 28th victory of the meet to Asmussen's 25. Caldwell, the all-time winningest owner in Remington Park history, has won 371 thoroughbred races here.
In the past 11 years, it was the 10th finish on top (at least tied for most wins) for Caldwell. End Zone Athletics (Karl Broberg and Matt Johanson), ended the Caldwell runaway train last year or the streak would have been 11 seasons in a row, dating back to 2010. Caldwell also was top owner in 2008 by himself. His biggest year at Remington Park was 2016 when he won 50 times and earned the most money during his title run with $862,830.
Caldwell also was top owner by earnings in 2009 and from 2013-2018. He had a huge lead in earnings going into the final day of racing Tuesday – $603,386 to Asmussen's $303,217, and finished the meet with $612,751, earning $9,365 on closing day.
“I want to thank Remington Park for its hospitality and the six different trainers I've used to win all over the country this year and it doesn't stop there,” said Caldwell, a former high school coach. “It's a big team effort with everyone in the barn and I still use my coaching philosophy to recruit the talent (in claiming horses). A lot goes into the formula.”
Caldwell's biggest win of the season came in the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup on Oct. 16 with Dont Tell Noobody.
Caldwell earned the Ran Ricks, Jr. Award, as the leading owner. The award is named in honor of the track's all-time leading owner at the time of his passing in late 1996. Ricks was the first owner to stable a horse at Remington Park in 1988.
The top five Remington Park owners by wins: 1) Danny Caldwell, 28; 2) Steve Asmussen, 25; 3) Bryan Hawk, 14; 4) Clark Brewster, 12, and 5) End Zone Athletics, 11.
Top five by earnings: 1) Danny Caldwell, $612,751; 2) Steve Asmussen, $312,938; 3) Bryan Hawk, $292,811; 4) C.R. Trout, $265,343; 5) End Zone Athletics, $261,229
Jockey David Cabrera won his third riding title in a row, improving off his two previous seasons with his most victories in a meet yet – 96.
Cabrera won 95 races in 2018 and 83 last year. His horses also won the most money during his three-year streak – $2,377,944 in 2018; $2,159,916 last year, and this season he finished with $2,033,449. His mounts brought home $6,595 on closing day.
“I want to thank God for the opportunity he has given me here and in life,” Cabrera said. “Thank you to every person, my wife, my kid and trainers who have helped me. I love my job. And especially one person who got me started at Remington, (trainer) Marti Rodriguez (his aunt).”
The top jockey at Remington Park earns the Pat Steinberg Award, named after the track's all-time leading jockey at the time of his passing in 1993.
The top five Remington Park Jockeys by wins: 1) David Cabrera, 96; 2) Stewart Elliott, 66; 3) Ramon Vazquez, 62; 4) Sophie Doyle, 47, and 5) Richard Eramia, 43.
The top six jockeys by seasonal mount earnings: 1) David Cabrera, $2,033,449; 2) Stewart Elliott, $1,431,759; 3) Richard Eramia, $1,303,806; 4) Ramon Vazquez, $1,081,297; 5) Luis Quinonez, $1,064,201; 6) Sophie Doyle, $1,016,877.
The trainer standings race was a much easier one for National and Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, taking his 16th conditioning crown and fifth in a row. He had three wins Tuesday, taking the early daily double, winning race one with Princess Asya ($2.40 to win), the second race with Salaciousacusation ($5.80) and Dixie Mo ($4.60) in the eighth. That gave Asmussen 75 trips to the winner's circle this meet, far below his all-time best here of 104 in 2018. He also surpassed 100 in 2009 with 102. He was an amazing 48 wins ahead of second-place trainers Austin Gustafson and Scott Young, who had 27 wins each.
Asmussen won training titles in the fall of 1991-92, fall of 1995, and then when the Thoroughbreds went to one meet a year, from 2007-2014. Karl Broberg won in 2015, followed by Asmussen taking the crown from 2016-2020. It was also the 10th year Asmussen-trained horses have been leading money earners for a season. His top year was 2018 when they brought in $2,994,719. This year, Asmussen's horses banked $1,529,824. His horses earned $40,767 on closing day.
It was the fifth meet in a row that Asmussen has led in horse earnings at Remington Park.
Asmussen earned the Chuck Taliaferro Award, named in honor of one of Remington Park's top trainers in its formative years until his passing in 1994.
The top five trainers by wins: 1) Steve Asmussen, 76; 2) Austin Gustafson, 27; 2) Scott Young, 27; 4) Bret Calhoun, 25, and Danny Pish, 25.
Top five trainers by stable earnings: 1) Steve Asmussen, $1,529,824; 2) Donnie Von Hemel, $540,741; 3) Danny Pish, $527,021; 4) Scott Young, $523,191; 5) Bret Calhoun, $491,922.
Welder, owned by Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash of Claremore, Okla.) was the top earning horse for the season. The 7-year-old gray millionaire gelding, trained by Teri Luneack, and ridden by Cabrera, won the most money at the meet with $187,024. He won three stakes races – the Remington Park Turf Sprint, the Oklahoma Classics Sprint, the Silver Goblin (all for Oklahoma-breds) and then scored against stakes-quality rivals in an open-company allowance, beating Share the Upside, who had defeated Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Whitmore in this year's King Cotton Stakes in February at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
Tracked by more than 164,000 fans on Facebook and 10,500 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $254 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park is open daily for casino gaming and simulcast horse racing. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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