RAMON VAZQUEZ NO. 1 SHOW CONTINUES WITH RIDING TRIPLE FRIDAY AT REMINGTON PARK

It took him a race to get going, running second in the first race of the night, but after that, The Ramon Vazquez Show moved on like a well-greased locomotive Friday night at Remington Park. The season’s leading jockey rattled off wins in the second, third and fifth races for a riding triple.

The Vazquez lead in the jockey standings was gaining insurmountable status going into this week and it’s getting more difficult for any other riders to give him any reason to worry. The three trips to the winner’s circle on Friday night make it 50 for the meeting, 23 ahead of second-place and two-time defending champion rider Stewart Elliott’s 27.

Vazquez’s first win of the night in the second half of the daily double was aboard Love Pack, a predominant 1-9 favorite in a beaten $5,000 claiming race at one mile. The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding, who came to Remington Park off a win at Churchill Downs in Louisville, has now won three in a row. Trained by Robertino Diodoro and owned by Charles Garvey of Nisku, Alberta, Canada, Love Pack won a conditional $16,000 claiming race at Churchill on May 16, then won a $10,000 conditional claiming race in Oklahoma City by 2-1/2 lengths on Aug. 23.

Love Pack, a son of Classic Empire, from the Elusive Quality mare Bold Quality, made it three consecutive wins when he checked in under Vazquez a 1-1/2 length winner at one mile over a fast main track. His first win here came at 1-1/16 miles on the dirt. In his last five starts, Love Pack has won four of them with Vaquez up for the last two scores.

Love Pack improved his lifetime record to seven starts, four wins and a bankroll of $57,845. Love Pack was bred by Steven and Brandi Nicholson.

In the third race, Vazquez won for trainer Pat Swan and owners Gary V. James and Robert E. Lewis of Lexington, Ky., when he booted home winner Cloud Angel by a half-length over Kinky Moon. The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Cloud Computing, from the Thunder Gulch mare Shescharlie’sangel, won a $10,000 claiming race for non-winners of two career races by a half-length at 3-1 odds. The distance was one mile-70 yards on the main track. Cloud Angel paid $8.80 to win after giving up the lead in mid-stretch to Kinky Moon before showing extra heart to come back up the rail for the triumph.

The fifth race was another race where Vazquez prevailed at the wire by three-quarters of a length with Title Talk (9-2), his best-paying horse of the night at $11.20 to win. Title Talk, a second-time starter for trainer Boyd Caster, dropped to the maiden claiming ranks ($20,000-level) for the first time and after losing by 14 lengths in his first outing with maiden special weights. The Oklahoma-bred 2-year-old gelding by Majestic Hussar, out of the Flashback mare Sarah’s Flashback, won for owner Olis Goodnight of Meade, Kansas.

Asmussen Gaining on 11,000 Wins
Trainer Steve Asmussen came into Friday night’s Remington Park card needing five wins to become the only conditioner to ever win 11,000 races in North America. He moved two closer to that milestone to finish the night at 10,997.

Asmussen got off on the right foot right out of the gates in the first race Friday, winning with Pacific ($3.80 to win) as the 4-5 wagering favorite, to break that 3-year-old colt’s maiden. He is by Omaha Beach, out of the Awesome Again mare Worshipper. The first winner of the night is owned and was bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds of Atlanta, Ga.

Son Erik Asmussen rode both of his father’s winners on Friday. He also won the seventh race with a 4-year-old gelded son of Runhappy, out of the War Front mare Speedy War. Epic Battle ($4.80) fought his way past post-time favorite Mitole’s Limit, who ironically was a 4-year-old gelding by the Champion Sprinter Mitole, a horse that Asmussen campaigned in his career.

Epic Battle is also owned by Asmussen of Arlington, Texas and was bred in Kentucky by Bradley W. Purcell.

Looking at racing on Saturday, Oct. 11, Asmussen has one entered at the Downs in Albuquerque in New Mexico and three at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. If he doesn’t win three-of-four at those two tracks, he would have a very good chance of hitting the milestone at Remington Park tomorrow night. He has entered six horses for Remington Park on Saturday, running in races 2,3,4,7 and then a pair of entries in race 8.

Steve became the all-time winningest trainer in the annals of North American racing when he won for the 9,446th time on Aug. 7, 2021 at Saratoga in upstate New York, passing Dale Baird. A year and a half later, on Feb. 20, 2023, Asmussen became the first trainer in history to walk to the winner’s circle for the 10,000th time when Bet He’s Ready won at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 11 with first post time of 6pm-Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $396 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 Classics Night of stakes racing for top Oklahoma-breds is Friday, Oct. 17. 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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