JUNGLE RUNNER, REMINGTON PARK STAKES WINNER, ENTERS BELMONT STAKES

Jungle Runner, whose only career wins were at Remington Park in the fall of 2019, has entered the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes for Saturday, June 20. In a field of 10, Jungle Runner has been made the longest shot on the morning line at 50-1 odds.

Owned and bred by historic Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky. and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Jungle Runner excelled in his 2-year-old races while at Remington Park last year. The Kentucky-bred colt by Candy Ride (Arg) from the Tapit broodmare Minx, broke his maiden status in his first attempt in Oklahoma City, a one-mile maiden special weight affair on the Oklahoma Derby Day undercard. Jungle Runner won his first career race by 4-1/4 lengths.

Jungle Runner was given his first stakes opportunity off that maiden triumph, handling the seven-furlong, $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Nov. 1 in winning by 1-1/4 lengths. The colt could not make it three straight wins as he finished fourth, beaten 14 lengths, in the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 15.

His 3-year-old campaign has produced no victories to date, with three consecutive double-digit defeats in stakes attempts. Jungle Runner was eighth in a nine-horse field in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. on January 24, beaten 18-3/4 lengths. On Feb. 23 in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park, N.M., Jungle Runner was last of five, beaten 22 lengths. Then on May 2, in a division of the Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn, Jungle Runner was eighth of nine, 22-1/2 lengths behind victorious Charlatan.

Jungle Runner has trained at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. throughout June, leading up to his longshot classic attempt on Saturday. Jockey Reylu Gutierrez will have the call in the 1-1/8 mile Belmont Stakes, the shortest of the three “Triple Crown” races to be conducted in 2020. This will be the first Belmont Stakes contested at less than its famous 1-1/2 miles since 1926, and the first at 1-1/8 miles since 1894.

Florida Derby winner Tiz The Law has been tabbed as the morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at odds of 9-5.

Remington Park will open the simulcast venue on Track Level North at 10am on Saturday with the initial race from Belmont Park at 10:45am. The Belmont Stakes is scheduled for 4:42pm. All times are Central.

Advance wagering on the Belmont Stakes program will be offered at Remington Park on Friday, June 19.

Guests attending Remington Park must enter through the Casino Entrance, and adhere to current health/safety protocols. Please know that capacity is limited for simulcast racing at Remington Park.

Tracked by more than 164,000 fans on Facebook and more than 10,500 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $243 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 will begin its 2020 Thoroughbred Season on Friday, Aug. 21.

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