ARTISTIC VISION WINS FIFTH IN ROW AT REMINGTON PARK THIS MEET UNDER JOCKEY DAVID CABRERA
Artistic Vision won her fifth race in a row at the Remington Park meet, easily winning the featured allowance race here Monday evening.
Jockey David Cabrera, winner of the riding title in Oklahoma City four times, pushed the right button on this 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by The Visualiser, out of the Dutch Art (GB) mare Artistic Charm (GB), and they won at the wire by 2-1/4 lengths. She is by the same sire that produced Welder, the all-time winningest horse at Remington Park with 16 wins here. Cabrera was also the regular rider on Welder.
Cabrera’s win Monday with Artistic Vision was for owner Thumbs Up Racing (David Cobb) of Scottsdale, Ariz. At 2-1 odds, as the second wagering favorite, this filly bested the 4-5 favorite, Take Me Serious, who checked in second. The third-place runner, Kachina (14-1) was third, beating Nice Neighbor (5-2) for that spot by a nose. Trainer Miguel Silva was the winning conditioner. Artistic Vision was bred by the owner.
Artistic Vision paid $6.20 to win, $3 to place and $2.40 to show. Winning time for the six furlongs was a swift 1:10.90. The top five times at six furlongs for the meet have been 1:09-and-change.
Cabrera put the winner in second down the backstretch, sitting just off the shoulder of front-running Take Me Serious. The early fractions were :22.77 for the first quarter-mile, :46.53 for the half-mile, :58.54 for five-eighths of a mile, a point at which Artistic Vision had taken over the lead.
The only race Artistic Vision has lost at this meet was her first outing on Aug. 23 at 6-1/2 furlongs against Oklahoma-bred fillies and mares in open allowance conditions. She got beat five lengths on the main track. Those were the same conditions as Monday at six furlongs against many of the horses that finished in front of her in that fall debut.
Following that loss, Artistic Vision has been undefeated, winning a starter allowance for open starters of $20,000 or less on the turf at five furlongs on Sept. 14, then back on the dirt at 6-1/2 furlongs on Oct. 3 against Oklahoma-breds in $10,000 starter allowance company. Her next three wins came at seven furlongs in the $31,000 Oklahoma Classics Starter for Fillies and Mares on Oct. 18, an open $40,000 allowance at five furlongs back on the grass on Nov. 13 and tonight’s victory.
Artistic Vision might give Miss Code West a run for her money in the Champion Oklahoma-bred category for this meet, depending on what happens on closing night. Miss Code West has won twice this meet and her only loss came in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. Miss Code West is expected to go in the Useeit Stakes on closing night, Friday, Dec. 13, a race for Oklahoma-bred 3-year-old fillies.
Apprentice Jockey Ronnie Huckaby Wins First Career Race
Ronnie Huckaby, an 18-year-old senior at Vinita High School in Oklahoma, is now also a professional winner as a jockey. He added that to his resume in the fourth race Monday afternoon at Remington Park when Devious Diva won under the teenager.
After the winner’s circle photo, Huckaby prepared for his rite of passage, courtesy the rest of the jockey colony.
“The other jockeys told me what they were going to do to me,” he said. “I knew what was coming.”
Obed Sanchez and Kevin Roman picked him up in the paddock as they walked back to the jockeys’ quarters and dumped Huckaby into a water tub, soaking him head to toe. Then Harry Hernandez and others brought out the baby powder and got it to stick to him all over. That wasn’t all, however.
“Oh, they shaved one eyebrow off and cut a middle section out of my hair,” Huckaby said, with a smile. “I’m not sure how bad it looks. I haven’t looked in the mirror yet.”
Oddly enough, it wasn’t the biggest day of the young man’s life.
“I have a 1-year-old boy named Koen and he was born last year on Oct. 19,” he said.
Huckaby said it was just kind of an odd deal that he even became a jockey.
“(Trainer) Scott Young called me and asked me if I’d gallop some horses for him at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, so I did that this spring,” said Huckaby. “Scott sent me to (trainer) Jobie Caster and he said he would put me on some of his horses.”
Since Huckaby is a bug boy (apprentice rider), he was given a five-pound allowance in the race he won. His horse carried five fewer pounds than her competitors. Devious Diva is trained by Caster. The 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Flat Out, from the Affirmatif mare Dancing Diva, is owned by JT Stables (Theresa Moore) of Tontitown, Ark.
Huckaby scored his first career victory with just his fifth mount overall.
Remington Park racing continues Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 2:30pm-Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $363 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 presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 13 when the $300,000 Springboard Mile tops the final night of the season. The major 2-year-old stakes race of the season, the Springboard awards valuable 2025 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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