ERNIE BANKER WINS HIS FOURTH IN A ROW AT REMINGTON PARK, PRODUCING SOME OF THE FASTEST TIMES OF MEET

Ernie Banker never wins by much, but he does win a lot. The 5-year-old gelding won his fourth race in a row at Remington Park this meet on Monday in the featured allowance.

His last three wins have come by a head, a nose and a neck. He might win by the tiniest margins but his heart is as big as all outdoors. When he is engaged down the stretch and even passed at times, he fights back and finds the wire first. The son of Central Banker, out of the Prime Timber mare Tall Timbercowgirl, has been extremely speedy as well for leading trainer Karl Broberg. His three wins at 6-1/2 furlongs on the main track have been the second-fastest, fourth and fifth of all the horses that have tried that distance at the meet this year.

With leading rider Cristian Torres in the saddle Monday, he stopped the timer at the finish line in 1:16.08 for today’s 6-1/2 furlongs, over a fast track, good for the second fastest at the distance this season. The only other horse that won in a faster time was Jackman on Sept. 16 when that 4-year-old gelding, also out of Broberg’s barn, had the quickest time of the meet in 1:15.53. Ernie Banker’s times at this distance on Sept. 29 and Sept. 23, check in as fourth- and fifth-fastest of the meet.

When Ernie Banker won at seven furlongs on Oct. 12 in 1:23.70, it was the fourth-fastest of the meet, behind Summer Splash (1:22.58), Hits Pricey Legacy (1:23.54), and Wildatlanticstorm (1:23.62). Those last two horses are stakes winners.

Ernie Banker races for End Zone Athletics (Broberg) of Mansfield, Texas, the leader in this meet’s owner standings. The win gave End Zone its 24th win of the meet and they now lead the all-time winningest owner at Remington, Danny Caldwell, in second at 16.

In Monday’s race, Ernie Banker pocketed $21,780 from the $36,300 purse in the third-level allowance race and improved his record lifetime to 25 starts, nine wins, three seconds and four thirds for a bankroll of $258,542. This gelding is likely extremely dizzy from going to different barns this year. End Zone Athletics owned him and he was in Broberg’s barn back on June 9 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. Ernie Banker won that day, but was claimed for $15,000 by trainer Ray Ashford. Broberg must have known how special this horse is and claimed him back on the Fourth of July for $25,000. Broberg gave him a little time off, then shipped him to Remington Park for the fall meet.

After running ninth in Oklahoma City against open allowance company on Sept. 11, Ernie Banker was dropped back in for a $15,000 claiming price on Sept. 23, which began his winning streak. He won by 3-1/2 lengths that night and found he had a new home after that race. Caldwell and trainer Oscar Flores took him from Broberg and then ran him in an optional $20,000 claiming race on Sept. 29. He won that night and Broberg bought him back for that price.

Ernie Banker, on Monday, sat just off the shoulder of front-running Flap Jack (6-1) in the early going and took over the lead in the stretch. When he put Flap Jack away for good, he then had to hold off the hard-charging late foot of Mister Mmmmm, who pushed him to the finish line.

The winner was sent off at 7-5 odds and paid $4.80, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board. The runner-up, Mr. Mmmmm was the third-favorite at post at 9-2 and Flap Jack, checking in third, three-quarters of a length farther back was 6-1.

Ernie Banker was bred in New York by Andy Beadnell.

Live racing at Remington Park continues this week under the new November schedule, running Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. First post time is 2:30pm Monday and Tuesday, with regular start time at 7:07pm on Friday and Saturday. All times are Central.

Tracked by more than 171,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $308 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 features the $400,000 Springboard Mile, our top 2-year-old race on the final night of the season on Saturday, December 17. Remington Park also presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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