ASMUSSENS – JOCKEY ERIK AND TRAINER STEVE – DOMINATE, WINNING BOTH ALLOWANCE RACES SATURDAY AT REMINGTON PARK

Remington Park’s and North America’s all-time winningest trainer Steve Asmussen and his son Erik, the fifth-leading rider this season, joined forces on Saturday night to dominate the big races, sweeping both allowance features here.

It was tough to tell which win was more impressive. The first allowance race was only a half-length victory by Ryvit, but he came close to matching Run Johnny’s 5-1/2 furlongs track record of 1:02.00 set on Sept. 6, 1997. Ryvit, a 5-year-old horse, was the first of the two winners with Erik in the saddle, stopping the timer in Saturday night’s seventh race over a muddy track in 1:02.60. This came in a beaten allowance race for 3-year-olds-and-up that had either not won a race since April 25 or not won four races lifetime.

Ryvit’s stablemate, 2-year-old filly Not a Lady, said hold my sweet feed. She was next in the eighth race, an allowance for non-winners of two lifetime. She showed tremendous versatility, stretching out around two turns for the first time and blowing away her field by 6-3/4 lengths. This race was scheduled for 7-1/2 furlongs on the turf, but the heavy rains that fell in Oklahoma City this weekend forced the race to be run on the muddy main track at the one-mile distance. Not a Lady was not expected to have much trouble stretching out after a 5-furlong win over the grass the time before this on Oct. 4 since her breeding suggested a strong possibility of route talent. She is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief, out of the More Than Ready mare Justa Lady. That prognostication was more than true.

The lightly raced Not a Lady was the second betting favorite in the race at 9-5 odds, but she ran more like 1-5. The filly, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds (Ron Winchell) of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only racing for her third time and has won two of those, sprinting on the grass and routing over a muddy surface, with the latter distance appearing to be her best course for the future. She earned $23,334 from the $39,000 purse and improved to two wins from three starts for a total bankroll of $47,056. She was bred by Curtis C. Green and was a $775,000 purchase by the Winchell Thoroughbreds from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale of 2024.

Hot Pink (3-1) checked in second behind Not a Lady, a neck ahead of Aunt Penny (12-1). The 7-5 favorite in the race at post-time was American Taylor who could do no better than fourth.

Erik put Not a Lady in a stalking position in second for the early going, chasing Hot Pink, as they hit the poles in :24.88 for the first quarter-mile, :49.55 for the half-mile and 1:14.41 for three-quarters of a mile. Not a Lady had swept past the front-runner by seven furlongs in 1:26.82 before stopping the clock at 1:40.07 for the mile. She paid $5.80 to win, $4 to place and $3 to show.
In the earlier allowance, Erik Asmussen guided Ryvit to mid-pack for the first half of the race and then urged the Kentucky-bred son of Competitive Edge, from the Medaglia d’Oro mare She is Bedazzling, into second place by the time they reached the top of the lane. From there Ryvit and Second I D (5-2) engaged in a battle to the wire with the former prevailing by a half-length. Ryvit races for owners William and Corinne Heiligbrodt of Houston, Texas and was bred by Curt Leake.

It was the eighth win for Ryvit in 30 starts and made $24,996 for the effort. His record now is 30-8-4-4 with total earnings of $1,037,873. Not bad for a horse that was purchased at a Texas sale as a yearling for $70,000.

On Saturday night, Ryvit was sent off at 2-1 odds and paid $6.60 to win, $3 to place and $2.40 to show. He cut into interior fractions of :21.50 for the first quarter-mile, :44.42 for the half-mile, and :56.32 for five-eighths of a mile. Second I D was another 1-3/4 lengths ahead of third place finisher Dean’s List (4-1). The early pace in the race was set by David Vance Stakes runner-up, Mikel W, who faded to fourth. That horse was also bet down to 2-1 and was the wagering favorite.

Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 30-Nov. 1. The action begins at 6pm Thursday. The due to simulcasting of the Breeders’ Cup races from Del Mar on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Remington Park racing will begin at 6:20pm. All times are Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $390 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 year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 Springboard Mile, a 2026 Kentucky Derby qualifying points race, takes place Saturday, Dec. 20, the final night of the Thoroughbred Season. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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