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Asmussen Wins 17th Remington Title

Steve Asmussen captured his 17th Remington Park training title–and sixth in a row–while Danny Caldwell won the owner's title for the second consecutive time and 12th time overall when the Oklahoma track concluded its season last Friday.

“I'm obviously very blessed to have had all the opportunities I've had a Remington Park and I'm very thankful,” Asmussen said. “Pablo [Ocampo] has been with me to handle all the horses and he deserves a lot of the credit.”

Caldwell is Remington Park's all-time winningest owner.

“I'm proud to say this is my home track,” Caldwell said. “It's a privilege to race here. It's hard to win races anywhere, but especially at Remington Park.”

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Rated R Superstar Gives Caldwell First Governor’s Cup At Remington

Owner Danny Caldwell has won 372 times at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., now, but on Friday night, the Poteau, Okla., native won a race he had never won before – the $175,000 Governor's Cup with Rated R Superstar. The Governor's Cup was the feature event on the opening night of the 2021 Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park.

Caldwell has won the Thoroughbred owners' title 11 times at Remington Park and now can add one of Remington Park's richest races to his trophy case. “I don't have one of those; it's pretty,” Caldwell said as he was presented the trophy.

It was also the first win in the Governor's Cup for jockey Ramon Vazquez and trainer Federico Villafranco.

Caldwell picked up Rated R Superstar for $50,000 in a claim at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on Jan. 30, a race that the 8-year-old gelding won.

“I knew he was going to be special when he ran great against Silver State,” Caldwell said. “I love these older horses. He had a bad couple of races at Turfway Park and no one else put a claim for him that night (in January) so I was fortunate to get him.”

Since the claim, the Kentucky-bred son of Kodiak Kowboy, out of the Gold Case mare Wicked Wish, has won two races, but it was actually a race in which he ran second that showed his class. About six weeks after being the only owner to put in a claim for Rated R Superstar, Caldwell entered the horse in the $500,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn, a spot that appeared a bit ambitious for a horse from a $50,000 claiming race. Rated R Superstar came flying at the end of that 1-1/16th mile race to lose by only a neck to Silver State. All Silver State did this year was win six races in a row, including the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. In Silver State's most recent effort, he finished third in the Whitney at Saratoga to Knicks Go, who is the top American horse in the Breeders' Cup Classic rankings.

In the Governor's Cup, Vazquez had Rated R Superstar dead last in the field of nine coming down the backstretch in the 1-1/8th mile race, about seven lengths back of a tightly packed field. He also had him well off the rail toward the middle of the track to keep him out of trouble.

“I knew the horse was doing great right now,” said Vazquez. “I worked him the other morning. He had a lot in reserve when I finally asked him to run.”

By the top of the stretch, Rated R Superstar and runner-up Plainsman, the 6-5 post-time favorite, were heads apart. The winner prevailed at the wire by a neck at 7-2 odds over Plainsman, who had beaten him by a neck in the $50,000 Rasmussen Stakes at Prairie Meadows, Iowa., on June 4. Trident Hit, also 7-2, was another 1-3/4 lengths back in third.

Rated R Superstar earned $105,000 for the win and paid $9.40 to win, $3.60 to place, and $2.80 to show. He improved his record to 55 starts, nine wins, nine seconds, and eight thirds for $1,173,014. He passed the $1 million mark in earnings this summer.

Running time for the distance was 1:50.30. The interior fractions, set mostly by defending champion Hunka Burning Love (8-1) early, setting up Rated R Superstar's kick to victory were :23.61 for the first quarter-mile, :47.17 at the half-mile, 1:11.18 for three-quarters of a mile and 1:37.03 for the mile.

It was the first race for Rated R Superstar on the dirt at Remington Park after having raced on the turf in the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes over the turf here on Aug. 24, 2018. He finished sixth in that start, 3-1/4 lengths back of winner Turbo Street.

Caldwell won nine owner titles at Remington Park in the past 10 years, losing only in 2019 to End Zone Athletics, trainer/owner Karl Broberg's outfit. Caldwell also won in 2008 and 2010. His top year was 2016 when he won the crown with 50 wins, the most ever by an owner here.

The Opening Weekend at Remington Park continues Saturday, Aug. 21 with the first race at 7:07 pm Central.

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Caldwell, Asmussen, Cabrera On Top Of Final Remington Park Standings

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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Familiar Names Close Remington Standings

Remington Park in Oklahoma City closed its 66-day season Tuesday with familiar names atop the final standings. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen was the runaway leading trainer by both wins, with 76, and earnings, with $1,529,824. It marked his 16th leading training title at the Oklahoma track and his fifth in a row. David Cabrera won his third consecutive riding title at Remington, both by wins and earnings, with 96 victories and $2,033,449 in purses.

Danny Caldwell, an Oklahoma resident, secured his 11th owner title with 28 trips to the winner’s circle and $612,751 in earnings. Caldwell has won 371 races at Remington, making him the all-time winningest owner in the track’s history.

“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.”

The Oklahoma oval also had a record handle of $101,313,352, exceeding $100 million for the first time in the track’s 32-year history.

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