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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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Trainer Federico Villafranco Suspended Through First 30 Days Of Oaklawn Meet For Caffeine Positives

Trainer Federico Villafranco, among the top 10 conditioners by wins at Oaklawn Park in 2020, will miss the first 30 days of the 2021 season at the Hot Springs oval due to a Dec. 14 ruling published by the Arkansas Racing Commission, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Four of Villafranco's trainees, two winners and two second-place finishers, returned positives for caffeine in their post-race test results on dates from Feb. 1 through Feb. 8, 2020. The four horses — Millwood, D'Rapper, Fayette Warrior, and Council Rules — were all disqualified from their placings with purse monies forfeited.

Villafranco was suspended under the “absolute insurer rule,” with his suspension scheduled to run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Villafranco Suspended for Caffeine Positives at Oaklawn

Two winners and two second-place horses who subsequently tested positive for caffeine at Oaklawn Park back in February have been disqualified from their placings and purses, and the trainer of all four, Federico Villafranco, will be suspended for the first 30 days of the Oaklawn Park meet under the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC)’s “absolute insurer” rule.

Caffeine, a stimulant, is listed as a Class 2, Penalty Category B drug on the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).

For a first-offense Category B penalty, the ARCI recommends a 15-day suspension and minimum $500 fine, with mitigating circumstances raising the penalty to 60 days maximum and $1,000.

TDN emailed John “Smokey” Campbell, the ARC’s executive director, asking for details about the Dec. 14 rulings and an explanation of how the commission determined the 30-day, no-fine penalty. TDN also wanted to know if Villafranco has appealed. This story will be updated if a timely reply is received. The DQ’d winners were Millwood (Lemon Drop Kid) from the second race, an $8,000 claimer, on Feb. 1 and D’Rapper (Cherokee Rap), winner of the fifth race, a $50,000 claimer, on Feb. 8.

The DQ’d runners-up were Fayette Warrior (Exchange Rate) from the fourth race, a $16,000 NW3L claimer, Feb. 2 and Council Rules (Council Member), who was claimed for $8,000 out of the first race Feb. 8.

Danny Caldwell was the owner of all four horses at the time of the violations. He was not penalized by the ARC.

Villafranco’s suspension will run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

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Dont Tell Noobody Flies Late To Upset Oklahoma Classics Cup At 39-1

The biggest upset on Oklahoma Classics Night 2020 at Remington Park came in the biggest race of the night with 39-1 longshot Dont Tell Noobody flying from the clouds to pass the front-runners for victory in the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup.

It was the second win for Remington Park's all-time winningest owner, Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla., in the Cup, as well as for his trainer Federico Villafranco. They combined to win the 2012 edition with Fifth Date, also a longshot at 20-1 odds.

Sophie Doyle was in the irons for victory with Dont Tell Noobody.

“When I called on him, he absolutely flew with me,” said Doyle. “Today I just wanted to keep rolling outside and we won convincingly.”

This 3-year-old gelding by Cyber Secret, out of the Cactus Ridge mare Yucca, was bred in Oklahoma by Al Horton. He raced in a maiden claiming event for a $7,500 price tag as recently as March 16 at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.; Caldwell claimed the horse for $15,000 on July 29 from the barn of trainer Karl Broberg at Lone Star Park.

Now, Dont Tell Noobody has won his last two races in a row, stepping up in class with no problem.

“He has been breaking really sharply with me so I thought being closer we really had a good shot,” said Doyle.

When Dont Tell Noobody won his first career race in that maiden-claiming race at Will Rogers Downs, his running line was amazing for the one-mile race in the slop. At first call, he was ninth, 25 lengths behind the front-runner. He fell even farther back at second call, eighth by 29 lengths. At the top of the stretch, he was still 10 lengths behind in fourth, but rolling like a freight train. He won that race by 1-1/4 lengths and gave an indication that he could be a horse with a strong late kick. He proved that again Friday night in the Classics Cup with a similar running style.

Dont Tell Noobody broke sixth in the field of eight and was still sixth in the 1-1/16th miles race on the dirt at second and third call before beginning his rally. By the time he hit the upper stretch, Doyle had swung him five wide and was rocketing down the middle of the track. He proved to be best at the end, finishing a full length in front of runner-up Fast Breakin Cash (5-2), who ran 5-1/4 lengths better than third-place Deal Driven (2-1). Rowdy Yates, the post-time even-money favorite could do no better than fourth. Rounding out the order of finish in the Classics Cup were United Patriot, Dak Da Man, Kwik and Georgia Deputy.

Dont Tell Noobody improved his record to 11 starts, four wins and one third for lifetime earnings of $146,202. Not too shabby for a horse coming from the low maiden claiming ranks.

“I have really grown to trust this horse and he just keeps getting better and better,” said Doyle.

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