SEA LEVEL IMPRESSIVE TWO-FOR-TWO TO START HER CAREER FOR TRAINER BRAD COX, TAKES $51,500 E.L. GAYLORD STAKES

Sea Level broke her maiden at Indiana Grand on Aug. 23, flying home by seven lengths ahead of her competitors, and she proved that was no fluke, winning by daylight in the $51,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes to stay unbeaten.

Jockey Joel Rosario booted the 2-year-old filly home to the easy 3-3/4 lengths victory in her first try with stakes company. Trainer Brad Cox, second in the country in horses’ money earned, was confident in Sea Level’s talent and she answered the bell with a big win. She is a juvenile daughter of Exaggerator, out of the Exchange Rate mare Miss Kekoa and earned $30,000 for the win and bumped her bankroll up to $50,400 for owners Joni and Barry Butzow of Eden Prairie, Minn.

Cox currently trails only Steve Asmussen in the national trainers’ standings with his $22,485,876 in horse earnings this year to the leader’s $24,358,696.

Rosario sat in mid-pack on Sea Level for the first half-mile of the 6-1/2 furlongs race and asked her to run down the stretch after she had moved into second. With her final burst, the 9-5 second wagering favorite, passed the 8-5 betting favorite Hits Pricey Legacy to get up for the trophy. Hits Pricey Legacy was almost as big a winner in her first try for owner-trainer C.R. Trout of Edmond, Okla., She broke her maiden at Remington Park on Aug. 27, drawing away by 6-3/4 lengths. The filly would have to settle for runner-up status on this day, however.

Sea Level covered the 6-1/2 furlongs on a fast surface in 1:18.41 and cut into early fractions of :22:12 for the first quarter-mile, :45.23 for the half-mile and 1:11.57 for three-quarters of a mile. She paid $5.60 to win, $3 to place and $2.60 to show. She was bred in Kentucky by her owners.

Point Two (9-1) finished third, another 1-1/2 lengths back of the runner-up. The remaining order of finish was Soaring (4th), Eagle Express (5th), Summerjustbet Her (6th) and Texas Bluebonnet who was pulled up.

This was the first win in the Gaylord Memorial for all of the connections.

The E.L. Gaylord Memorial is named in honor of the late chairman and publisher of The Oklahoman, the state’s largest newspaper. E.L. Gaylord was a staunch supporter of Remington Park in the track’s early history.

Racing continues next week with a Wednesday-Saturday, Sept. 29-Oct. 2 schedule. First post time is 7:07 p.m. nightly.

Tracked by more than 167,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $272 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 for the $1,000,000 Oklahoma Classics Night, an evening of stakes racing to celebrate Oklahoma-breds, on Friday, Oct. 15. Simulcast horse racing featured daily, the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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