RJ LETS GET FISCAL TOPS TRIALS FOR $189,515 REMINGTON PARK DERBY

It appears the Remington Park Derby fastest qualifier, RJ Lets Get Fiscal, is loving the Remington Park racetrack as much as his sire did.

The 3-year-old gray gelding raced 400 yards in his trial Saturday night in :19.594 seconds, over a fast track, for a speed index of 96 in the ninth race of the night, the third of four trials. Two of the gelding’s three wins lifetime have come at Remington Park.

RJ Lets Get Fiscal’s sire (dad), The Fiscal Cliff, found the Oklahoma City surroundings just as favorable for his talents. In 2015, he won a trial for the biggest race of the year, the Heritage Place Futurity, but it wasn’t fast enough to qualify for that final. He wound up winning the $100,000 Heritage Place Juvenile Stakes that year in Oklahoma City with the late Cesar Gomez in the irons. He also went on to win the Grade 2, $50,054 Bob Moore Stakes at Remington. Away from Remington Park, he won the Grade 1, $345,000 AQHA Challenge Championship Stakes at Prairie Meadows. His career record was 26 starts, 13 wins, seven seconds and two thirds for a bankroll of $580,425.

On Saturday, his son, RJ Lets Get Fiscal showed that same kind of speed and his winning time would be the best as jockey Agustin Silva booted him home for trainer Mary Meza for the victory. Owner Juan Meza of Wichita Falls, Texas, earned $8,784 for the trial win and his charge improved his record to six starts, three wins, one second and one third for $39,742 in earnings. The gelding was bred in Oklahoma by Ken and Reba George.

The heartbreak story of the night came after the final Derby trial as San Lorenzo Ivory was hanging onto the 10th and final spot for the finals, but was knocked out by the last race and ended up losing his spot by two-thousandths of a second. San Lorenzo Ivory, last year’s Remington Park Futurity winner, won his trial, the first one of the night, but he broke two lengths back of the field and made up a ton of ground to win, only to be eliminated from the final.

RJ Lets Get Fiscal won his trial, the third of four, by a neck over Aristides as they were involved in a tight photo to determine the winner.

The fastest 10 times in the Derby trials will face off in the finals of the $189,515 Remington Park Derby on Saturday, April 22, at 400 yards. This race is restricted to Oklahoma-bred American Quarter Horse 3-year-olds.
The following were the 10 fastest qualifiers with times from Saturday, speed index, trial number (race number), jockey and trainer:

1) RJ Lets Get Fiscal, :19.594, 96, trial three (race nine), Agustin Silva, Mary Meza
2) Aristides, :19.643, 95, trial three (race nine), Oscar Andrade, Jr., Trey Wood
3) War Admiral, :19.872, 89, trial two (race eight), Bryan Candanosa, Juan Vazquez
4) BV Higher Power, :19.873, 89, trial two (race eight), Ruben Castro, Eddie Lee Willis
5) RGs Gold Wagon, :19.878, 89, trial three (race nine), Cordarelton Benn, Waylan Melton
6) Majestic MW, :19.883, 89, trial two (race eight), Eugenio Navarrete, Stacey Capps
7) Defours, :19.893, 88, trial three (race nine), Sergio Dominguez, John Stinebaugh
8) Hooked N Gone, :19.926, 88, trial two (race eight), Cristian Esqueda, Victor Ibarra
9) Racys Pilot, :19.937, 87, trial four (race 10), Salvador Martinez, Jorge Gonzalez
10) BV Dont Look Back, :19.985, 86, trial three (race nine), Ruben Castro, Eddie Lee Willis

Remington Park will not race on Easter. Live action resumes Thursday through Sunday, April 13-16. The first race nightly is 6pm with Sunday racing starting at 4pm. All times are Central.

Tracked by more than 174,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $317 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 features the 2023 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season through June 3. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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