PROUD MOMENTS, 93-1 LONGSHOT WINS FIFTH RACE, SETTING OFF BELLS, WHISTLES WITH RECORD PICK 5 PAYOUT

Despite running second two races back with conditional claiming $10,000 horses at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Okla., Proud Moments was totally overlooked at 93-1 odds Thursday night at Remington Park in the fifth race against a similar class.

He might have been dismissed by the betting public before the race but everyone was paying attention afterwards. The 4-year-old gelding came flying from dead last, passing them all to win by one length, causing the toteboard to light up like it was an early Christmas. The winning horse paid $188.40 on a $2 win ticket, $53.80 to place and $21.40 to show and it keyed an all-time high payout for the 50-cent Pick 5 at Remington Park, returning $98,633.65. The ticket was purchased at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. That was the entire betting pool after takeout.

Up until this race, the season-high payout for the Pick 5 was $46,616.70 on Day 14, Sept. 19. Tonight’s five winning horses in the Pick 5 were Air Walker (4-1 odds) in the first race; Crossing Dixie (8-5) and Gospel Ike (14-1) dead-heated for the win in the second; Papaws Boy (12-1), a first-time starter for trainer Chris Hartman in race three, and Because I’m Me (3-1) in the fourth.

The post-time favorites managed just one victory in the first five races as Martz’s Mae (9-5) ran third in the first, Crossing Dixie was the only favorite to win in the second, Flat Out Avenger (2-5) was second in the third, Granny Jewell (9-5) was second in the fourth, and Day Dreamer (2-1) could do no better than ninth in the fifth race.

Other huge payouts keyed by the Proud Moments victory in the fifth were the 50-cent Premier Pick 4 payout of $19,252.95 for races 2-5. That was a season-best payoff for the Pick 4 wager. On Day 13, Sept. 18, the Primetime Pick 4 for races 6-9 returned $10,755.70 and that was the record for the meet until Thursday night.

All of the exotic wagers in the fifth race paid in excess of $1,000. Let’s start with the smallest return. That came in the 50-cent Pick 3 (races 3-5) with a payout of $1,354.50. The $2 exacta (7-12 combination) with Cool Edge (18-1) running second was worth $2,422. The 50-cent trifecta, adding third-place You Should Talk (10-1) into the mix paid out at $6,009.25. The 10-cent superfecta, with Midknightwar (5-1) picking up the pieces in fourth, made that wager worth a whopping $19,182.68.

But, wait. There’s more.

In the race six Pick 3 with the 93-1 longshot Proud Moments in the middle leg and Elijah Anet (12-1) winning the sixth, that bet paid $2,038.15. When Break at Dawn (11-1) won the seventh, that Pick 3 that started with Proud Moments returned $7,611.45.

Proud Moments won his third career race in the $7,500-level claiming event, from 16 lifetime attempts. He also has two seconds and one third-place finish. Owned by Boyd Caster and Olis Goodnight of Jones, Okla., he is trained by Caster and was bred in Kentucky by Gary & Mary West Stables. Proud Moments is by Congrats from the Giant’s Causeway mare Trendy Chic. Jockey Garrett Steinberg had the winning longshot ride.

Leading rider David Cabrera had three wins for the night – Crossing Dixie, Chocolateicecream (16-1) in the eighth and Tiz a New Day (3-1) in the ninth. That gave him 64 for the meet. No other rider is within 20 victories of him. Ramon Vazquez was held without a win Thursday and remains in second with 41 wins. Cabrera sits fourth in the country this year with more than 200 wins. He trails only Irad Ortiz, Luis Saez and Tyler Gaffalione on the national scene.

Remington Park racing continues Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 & 7, with first post nightly at 7:07pm-Central.
Tracked by more than 164,000 fans on Facebook and 10,500 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $250 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 open daily for casino gaming and simulcast horse racing. The 2020 Thoroughbred Season features the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, simulcast from Keeneland, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 & 7. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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