remington park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Former Claimer Greeley And Ben Named Remington’s Horse Of The Meet

Greeley and Ben has been named Remington Park's Champion Horse of the Meeting for the 2021 fall thoroughbred meeting, ending a three-year reign for the all-time winningest horse here, Welder.

Greeley and Ben, owned by End Zone Athletics of Mansfield, Texas, and trained by Karl Broberg, not only was Champion Horse of the Meet, but has to be considered for claim of the year in the country. Broberg picked him up for a mere $10,000 at Oaklawn Park in a waiver claiming race on March 7 this year and all he did was win 10-of-12 after that for Broberg and his conglomerate of End Zone Athletics. Greeley and Ben has earned $296,277 with 11 wins from 15 starts in 2021.

The 7-year-old gelded son of Greeley's Conquest, out of the Langfuhr mare Traci's Wild, extended his winning streak to nine in a row, taking the $150,000 David M. Vance Stakes at Remington Park on Sept. 26, a race in which Welder ran fifth. It was arguably the toughest David Vance Stakes in history at Remington Park as multiple stakes winner Mr. Money Bags ran second, beaten 2-1/2 lengths. The third-place finisher, Long Range Toddy, had won the $400,000 Springboard Mile in 2018 and followed that up with a victory in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., in 2019, beating a Kentucky Derby favorite, Improbable, in the process. Long Range Toddy then ran in the Kentucky Derby and was interfered with by the disqualified winner Maximum Security in the turn for home.

The 2021 Vance Stakes also included Share the Upside, who beat Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Whitmore, at Oaklawn two years ago in a stakes there, and, of course, Welder, who finished his career with 16 wins over this racing surface. Welder, owned by Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Okla., and trained by Teri Luneack, is the only horse to ever win Horse of the Meeting more than once.

The Vance Stakes was the first black-type win for Greeley and Ben. He won his championship at Remington winning both of his starts this season. Nationally acclaimed jockey Joe Talamo came in to ride this champion sprinter in the Vance and Remington's leading rider for the fourth year in a row, David Cabrera, was aboard in an open allowance win here on Sept. 4. The allowance was won by a full length over Empire of Gold, the fourth-place finisher in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, behind Whitmore in 2020.

“When did I know I had a stakes horse on my hands during the streak?” Broberg said on the night of the Vance Stakes. “Tonight, when he hit the finish line. I have worked very hard to keep this horse out of spots like this.”

Talamo was thrilled to get the call to ride Greeley and Ben for the first time in the horse's 26 starts and made a little joke in the winner's circle after the huge victory.

“I'll give you $10,000 for the horse right now,” Talamo said to Broberg. “Maybe more!”

Greeley and Ben earned nine times the price Broberg paid for him in the initial claim – $90,000 for the victory in the Vance.

“I just thought he was a horse that looked like he was worth $10,000,” Broberg said. “If I said there was anything genius to it, I'd be making up a story. I'll still be looking for a $10,000 starter allowance for him.”

The winner covered the six furlongs in 1:09.79 on the fast track and lit the track on fire in his allowance win, going 1:08.88.

Greeley and Ben was also voted the season's Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Male. He was bred in Kentucky by the Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust.

The Remington Park seasonal divisional champions are selected by ballots submitted by media covering the season and track racing-affiliated personnel.

The post Former Claimer Greeley And Ben Named Remington’s Horse Of The Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Four Stakes Wins Across Two Tracks Net Jose Ortiz Jockey Of The Week Title

Jockey Jose Ortiz had three mounts in stakes races at Remington Park on Friday and he made the most of the opportunities. He won all three and then returned to New York on Saturday to win a division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series. Those four stakes victories earned Ortiz Jockey of the Week for Dec. 13 through Dec. 19. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

At Remington Park Friday evening, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen gave a leg up to Ortiz on Casual in the She's All In Stakes for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Off at odds of 2-1 in the field of eight, Casual tracked the pace, took command on the far turn and cruised to a 5 1/4-length win in 1:43.96 for the one mile and seventy yard contest on the dirt track. Ortiz was riding the 4-year-old Casual for the first time.

Riding again for Asmussen, Ortiz was aboard Optionality in the Trapeze Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Just past the half-mile marker, she went to the lead and was never headed drawing off to an impressive 8-1/4 length victory in 1:41.10 for one mile.

“She broke good,” Ortiz said to the Remington Park Publicity team, “and Steve had her ready. She started looking around at the end with it being nighttime and the lights and shadows at the wire, but she got the job done.”

In the final stakes race on the Remington card, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. called on Ortiz to ride Make It Big in the Springboard Mile for 2-year-olds with Kentucky Derby points on the line. Off as the favorite in the field of seven, Make It Big battled with race favorite Osborne throughout the stretch, posting a half-length win for the mile contest in 1:41.23. Ortiz picked up the mount after regular rider Edgard Zayas had shoulder surgery.

Back at Aqueduct on Saturday, Ortiz rode Yo Cuz for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in the Fifth Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies. Breaking third in the field of 11, Yo Cuz was hustled to the lead and held off a determined Morning Matcha to post a 1 3/4-length win in 1:25.34. The win was the third on the card for Ortiz.

“When you ride good horses, this is what happens,” said Ortiz to the NYRA publicity team. “You get more chances to win races. I appreciate all the opportunities I have been getting with big owners and big trainers supporting my career. That's what it is all about. You have to have the horse to win.”

Weekly statistics for Ortiz included a 31.5 percent win rate and total purse earnings of $778,748.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Junior Alvarado who won the G2 Ft. Lauderdale, Kendrick Carmouche who won the Gravesend at Aqueduct, Luis Saez with two graded stakes at Gulfstream, and Luis A. Valenzuela who won two stakes at Turf Paradise.

The post Four Stakes Wins Across Two Tracks Net Jose Ortiz Jockey Of The Week Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Remington: Steve Asmussen Wins 17th Training Title, Danny Caldwell Named Leading Owner For 12th Time

National Racing Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has clamped down on the training title at Remington Park, winning this meet for the sixth time in a row and 17th overall.

The training title is named the Chuck Taliaferro Award to honor one of the most prominent trainers in the early days of Remington Park. He won the training titles here in the fall of 1989 and the spring of 1990. Among the top horses he campaigned at Remington Park were multiple stakes winner No More Hard Times and Remington Park Derby (Oklahoma Derby) winner Wicked Destiny in 1990.

Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla., won the owner's title for the second consecutive year, giving him 12 Thoroughbred trophies in all at Remington Park. He is the track's all-time winningest owner.

With the exception of trainer Karl Broberg in 2015, Asmussen has a streak that goes back to 2007. He has won 14 of the past 15 crowns. In total, he and Donnie Von Hemel have won 29 of the 45 Thoroughbred meet titles at Remington Park, going back to 1988, the opening year. There were years in the early days that Remington raced two Thoroughbred meets the same calendar year, spring and fall.

“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.”

To give an accurate representation of Asmussen's and Von Hemel's dominance at Remington Park, the all-time training titles numbers are: Asmussen at 17, Von Hemel at 12, and then there is a tie for second place with two training titles among Chuck Taliaferro, Clinton Stuart, Kenny Smith, Joe Offolter and Joe Petalino.

Asmussen currently has a huge lead in most wins in the country in 2021 with 447 through Dec. 20, according to Equibase statistics. Broberg was in second with 394. In the earnings category, Asmussen trails Brad Cox nationally, but it's a close race. Cox's horses have earned $31,516,228 and Asmussen's $30,959,351.

The amazing thing about Asmussen's last four training titles at Remington Park is that his wins began dwindling since his record 104 victories in 2018. He followed that with 83 wins in 2019, 73 in 2020 and 42 this year but somehow continues to win titles. In fact, he was an easy winner this year despite the comparatively low totals. Broberg finished second this meet, 11 wins behind Asmussen, with 31 trips to the winner's circle. The top 10 trainers were rounded out by Scott Young and Austin Gustafson tied for fourth with 26 wins, followed by Oscar Flores (22), fifth; Danny Pish (20), sixth; Kari Craddock (19), seventh; Bret Calhoun (18), eighth, and tied for ninth and tenth were Ronnie Cravens III (17) and Brent Davidson (17)

The 42 trips to the winner's circle were the fewest for a training title holder since Asmussen's 38 wins in 2013, the last time he was below this year's totals.

Since beginning his career in 1986 when he had one win from 15 starters the whole year, he has reached an all-time fantastic milestone, winning more races than any other trainer in the history of the sport. Asmussen passed Dale Baird this year. Baird had held the title for years at 9,445 wins. Asmussen has currently won 9,576.

Asmussen is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for trainers, the most prestigious trophy given each year in the industry. Those came in 2008 and 2009. He also has won the Breeders' Cup Classic twice, North America's richest race. He did it with Horse of the Year, Gun Runner, in 2017 and with Curlin in 2007. Curlin was named Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008.

Caldwell has won 1,065 Thoroughbred horse races since he started in the business in 2003 when he started one horse and it didn't run first, second or third. He got $0 for that race. Since then, his biggest year came in 2017 when his horses earned $3,019,423. His top 10 finishes among owners nationally have been 2020 (7th), 2019 (8th), 2018 (4th), 2017 (4th), 2016 (5th), 2015 (4th), and 2014 (8th). His career stats show him with 5,349 starters; 1,065 wins; 863 seconds, and 739 thirds for earnings of $21,433,276, according to Equibase.

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

Caldwell's horses won 25 races this year, eight more than runner-up End Zone Athletics' 17, trainer-owner Karl Broberg's outfit out of Mansfield, Texas. Rounding out the top 10 owners were Bryan Hawk (14), third; tied for fourth, C.R. Trout (10) and Dream Walkin Farms (10); tied for sixth with eight each were Colleen Davidson, Michael and Linda Mazoch, and JT Stables, and tied for ninth, Steve Williams, Chad and Josh Christensen, and Caden Arthur with seven apiece.

Caldwell's best year, winning a title at Remington, came in 2016 with 50 wins and $862,830. His horses this year made $636,761. He has won training titles by wins in 2021, 2020, 2011-2018, 2010 and 2008.

The post Remington: Steve Asmussen Wins 17th Training Title, Danny Caldwell Named Leading Owner For 12th Time appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

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.”

The post Asmussen Wins 17th Remington Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post