OUR CORNERSTONE WINS FOR THIRD TIME AT REMINGTON PARK THIS MEET, QUINONEZ JUST THREE AWAY FROM 4,000 WINS
Our Cornerstone has been as solid a horse among the overnight classes as any at Remington Park this meet. On Wednesday night, he ran his sixth race of the meet and won for the third time. Jockey Jose Alvarez was aboard for his third victory of the night in the featured allowance race.
Our Cornerstone has finished second in his other three starts. His win Wednesday was against first-level open allowance company, 3-year-olds-and-up, going six furlongs. The 4-year-old gelding’s other two victories came on Nov. 9 against Oklahoma-bred first-level allowance horses at 5-1/2 furlongs and on Aug. 18 against $5,000 open claimers at 5-1/2 furlongs.
Run a race and this son of Optimizer (English Channel), out of the Awesome Again mare American Sound, will run first or second, almost guaranteed. Yet, he was sent off at a generous 4-1 odds as the winner.
Trainer Jerry Stephens has been a conditioner extraordinaire at this meet as well, winning or running second with 11-of-20 starters. Three times a winner in the saddle Wednesday night gave Alvarez 37 wins for the meet, moving him into a tie for fifth in the jockeys’ standings with Floyd Wethey, Jr. The top five, with three race dates to go, are Stewart Elliott (73), Lindey Wade (42), Richard Eramia (41), Harry Hernandez (39) and then the fifth-place duo.
Our Cornerstone returned $10.20 to win, $5.20 to place and $3.80 to show to his backers. He outlasted Midnight Pranks (5-1), who was second by a half-length. Another half-length back in third was One Ten Stadium (4-1). The 2-1 favorite, Salt Creek Kid (2-1) could do no better than fifth in this spot.
The winner covered the six furlongs in 1:11.42 over a fast track and came from sixth in the early going to pass everyone in front of him in the stretch. Uptown Hustler set the early pace before fading to last with fractions of :22.40 for the first quarter-mile, :45.53 for the half-mile and :58.29 for five-eighths.
Our Cornerstone won $20,796 from the $35,000 purse to improve his record to 27 starts, seven wins, six seconds and one third for $113,487. He was bred in Oklahoma by owner Circle Bar H.
Alvarez took the first race of the night with Bathing Beauty ($3 to win) for owner George Sharp, who had three owning wins on the night, Shawn Davis trained for the first of his trio of victories Wednesday. Alvarez’s second win of the night came in the third race aboard Pondered ($18.60) also for Sharp and Davis.
Jockey Luis Quinonez won the ninth race on It’ll Do ($8.60) for the third win of the evening for Sharp and Davis.
Quinonez also won race six aboard Prince of Earl ($4.40) in a dead-heat victory, shared with Slick Country Boy. The pair of wins for Quinonez moves him closer to 4,000 wins overall for his career. The Jones, Okla., resident is only three away from his bullseye mark.
Remington Park racing continues Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 14-16. The first race Thursday night is at 7:07pm. Friday racing features the Springboard Mile, the track’s top event for 2-year-olds. That program begins at 5pm. The final day of the season on Saturday features a dozen races to wraps things up, starting at 2:30pm. All times are Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $340 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 is home to the Springboard Mile, a Kentucky Derby points-qualifying race, on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
-30-