TAP THE DOT GIVES JOCKEY STEWART ELLIOTT FIFTH WIN ON NIGHT WITH VICTORY IN RED EARTH STAKES

When Tap the Dot roared past 2-5 wagering favorite Number One Dude in the stretch Friday night at Remington Park to win the $50,000 Red Earth Stakes, it gave jockey Stewart Elliott his fifth trip to the winner’s circle.

Elliott extended his lead in the jockeys’ standings to 11 over the injured David Cabrera, 29-18. The thing that really made it an impressive night for Elliott was that he won his five races for five different trainers and he took two of the three stakes carded. He fell short of the record at Remington Park set by all-time winningest jockey here, Cliff Berry, who won seven races on one day with only seven mounts on Dec. 10, 2010. At that time Berry was one of only three jockeys in North American racing history who had won seven races on a card without losing.

Elliott won aboard Tap the Dot for his top trainer, Steve Asmussen, who has won 17 training titles at Remington Park. Tap the Dot settled in mid-pack of the 7-1/2 furlongs race on the grass in sixth place in the early going. He let Number One Dude and Rowdy Rascal fight it out on the front end into the stretch. Tap the Dot closed like a bear on a salmon run to get up and win by 1-1/2 lengths. The 5-year-old gelded son of Moro Tap, out of the Langfuhr mare Dot Product, flew past them at 5-1 odds. He paid $12.80 to win, $3.80 to place and $2.80 to show.

Running time for the Tap the Dot was 1:31.32 over the firm turf and he cut into early fractions of :24.59 for the first quarter-mile, :48.51 for the half-mile, and 1:12.28 for six furlongs.

“I bought him right here at the Heritage Place November sale in 2019 and I called Cash (Asmussen, co-owner),” said co-owner Martin Riley of Laredo, Texas. “I said, ‘You wanna see if this horse can be a racehorse’ and so we did. He called me when the horse was 2-years-old and said, ‘Hey, you know, he can run some.’”

Now, Tap the Dot has proven that over and over, especially on the turf. He won $30,000 on Friday night for Cash, Steve’s brother, and Riley and improved to 15 starts, six wins, five seconds and one third for a bankroll of $237,730.

Number One Dude held on for second, a half-length ahead of Rowdy Rascal (41-1). The finish of the Red Earth Stakes was Just a Irish Lad fourth, That’s Something fifth, Inca Empire sixth, Tommyhawk seventh, Cowboy Mischief eighth, Rowdy River ninth and Rantheredlight 10th.

“He is really good,” Elliott said of Tap the Dot. “It was a big night for me with the five wins. One thing you can say about Steve (Asmussen), you never have to worry about a horse being ready to run off a layoff.”

Tap the Dot had been off since Dec. 2, 2022, when he ran second in an allowance race at Remington Park, losing to That’s Something.

“I was using Number One Dude as a target in the race because he figured to be the one to beat,” said Elliott. “When I came up beside him in the stretch, I said, ‘You better have another gear because I do.”

Tap the Dot was bred in Oklahoma by Jinger Clemmer.

Live racing continues Saturday and Sunday with the latter being Oklahoma Derby Day. First post time is 7:07 p.m. Central while Sunday’s card has a special first post of 3 p.m.
Remington Park has provided more than $331 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 to the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby and the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Parking and admission are always free. 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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