JOCKEY ERIK ASMUSSEN RECORDS RIDING TRIPLE, ALL FOR HIS TRAINER FATHER STEVE SATURDAY AT REMINGTON PARK

Winning three races in one night is nothing new to 22-year-old jockey Erik Asmussen anymore, but it is something new for him at Remington Park, posting the hat trick on Saturday night.

After all, it takes those kind of nights to be named North America’s Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey as he was in 2024. He stands at 5-foot-10, but he stands even taller in his father’s sights. On Saturday night, he won with Amadora’s Empire ($8.20 to win), Carbone ($4.40) and Raise the Bar in the fourth, seventh and eighth races.

The young Texan talks just as highly of his first riding title ever at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, in 2024 when had 48 victories and won four stakes races as he does about his larger trophies. There is just something special about doing it at your home track. His horses earned more than $1 million.

When Asmussen was named the country’s top apprentice rider in 2024, he made the top 50 riders in the nation, finishing 48th in money earned as his horses accumulated $4,006,838. He had 537 mounts with 67 wins, 60 seconds and 69 thirds. He was also the leading apprentice at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. in his Eclipse year.

On Saturday night, the venue was Remington Park and Oklahoma City and Asmussen did his thing with aplomb and talent. Asmussen’s biggest win of the night came in the featured allowance race aboard Raise the Bar. The 3-year-old Texas-bred colt by Maclean’s Music, out of the Bernardini mare Paschali, won a first-level allowance race, going 5-1/2 furlongs on the main track. That colt is a home-bred for owner Douglas Scharbauer of Midland, Texas. Raise the Bar and Erik Asmussen couldn’t have been more impressive, winning by daylight in a 5-1/4 lengths romp, covering the distance in a blazing 1:03.22, the fastest time of the meet for 5-1/2 furlongs. The colt cut into early fractions of :21.67 for the first quarter-mile, he had the lead after that and hit the half-mile in :44.81 before getting five-eighths of a mile in :56.87 on the fast track. Run Johnny has held the 5-1/2 furlong mark at Remington Park since Sept. 6, 1997, with a clocking of 1:02.00.

Raise the Bar broke fifth from the gate, but quickly moved up to second after the first quarter-mile. By the time they had gone three-eighths, he had taken a half-length lead. Despite his dominance in the race, the bettors didn’t make Raise the Bar the favorite. At post time he went off the second choice at 2-1 odds. The 8-5 betting favorite, Immelman, checked in second for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Grapnel was third, 7-3/4 lengths behind the winner.

Diodoro began Saturday night with a nice three-win lead in the trainer standings but he was shut out on the program while Steve Asmussen’s training triple put him in a tie for first at 18 trips to the winner’s circle each this meet.

Raise the Bar paid $6 to win, $4 to place and $3.20 to show. He earned $23,334 from the $39,000 allowance purse and improved his lifetime record to five starts, three wins and $84,940 earned.

Vaquez Reached 700 at Remington Park
In other jockey news at Remington Park, leading rider Ramon Vazquez won the fifth race at Remington Park in the saddle of Razors Edge despite the 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly having her head turned as the gates opened and was totally left behind.
Vazquez never gave up, however, and mowed them all down in the stretch to win by a head at 7-2 odds.

It was a special win for more reasons than that as it was the 700th time Vaquez has made it to the winner’s circle, putting him one behind Benny Landeros (701) in sixth-place all-time at this Oklahoma City track. What made it even more interesting was Vazquez wasn’t even supposed to ride the filly. He was named to ride as a replacement for Luis Reyes, who was originally named on the mount.

Remington Park racing features the 37th Oklahoma Derby on a 10-race program Sunday, Sept. 28. The first race is at 3pm-Central with the final eight races, all stakes, leading up to the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby as the finale.

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 Oklahoma Derby takes place Sunday, Sept. 28. The Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 20. 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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