POPPERINA WINS FEATURED ALLOWANCE IN SECOND TRY OF REMINGTON MEET AS JOCKEY DAVID CABRERA TRIPLES
Popperina, a 3-year-old daughter of two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, was a disappointing third as the 1-9 prohibitive favorite in her debut at Remington Park on Aug. 16, but she made up for that bump in the road Wednesday night.
Jockey David Cabrera won for the third time on the night when he booted Popperina home a winner in the featured allowance race. With one out over the track, Popperina, shortened up from seven furlongs to 6-1/2 furlongs and one of those two factors or maybe both was what she needed to cruise home a winner by a head. She collared leader Teresa’s Nightmare in mid-stretch and pulled away at the wire for the victory.
Cabrera, a four-time Pat Steinberg trophy winner as top jockey at Remington Park, also won two earlier races aboard Sweet Karat Cake ($4.20) in the fifth for trainer Austin Gustafson and owner Solitude Thoroughbreds (Melanie Peterson of Decatur, Texas) and with Mena ($3.40) for trainer Shawn Davis and owner George A. Sharp in the seventh.
In the feature race, Popperina showed the talent that she exhibited when she broke her maiden at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on Feb. 17 this year, winning by 5-1/2 lengths in a $115,000 maiden race under jockey Keith Asmussen at six furlongs. She exhibited the kind of late surge her sire (dad) California Chrome did when he won the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and then the Dubai World Cup in 2016. Popperina also won a starter allowance for $50,000 horses at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on April 17 this year. She was an impressive 2-1/4 length winner that day, sprinting six furlongs.
Popperina went off at 1-2 odds Thursday night and paid $3 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. She earned $20,847 from the $35,000 purse to improve her lifetime mark to eight starts, three wins, three seconds and two thirds for a bankroll of $175,893. The filly was bred in Kentucky by her owner. She is out of the Graydar mare Blooming.
Running time for the winner in this sprint event was 1:17.85 with early speed horse Okie Attitude setting early fractions of :22.82 for the first quarter-mile, :46.35 for the half-mile and 1:11.37 for three-quarters. Popperina was five lengths behind in seventh at first call before finding her top gear. Teresa’s Nightmare (2-1) held on for second, nine lengths ahead of third-place finisher Blue Heavenly (24-1).
Remington Park racing continues Thursday thru Saturday, Sept. 12-14, with the first race nightly at 6:30pm-Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $357 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 simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 13. The Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby takes place on Sunday, Sept. 29. 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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