TRAINER MINDY WILLIS RECORDS HER 200TH REMINGTON PARK VICTORY WITH GOOD SWIMMER IN FEATURED TURF RACE

Trainer Mindy Willis picked up her 200th career Remington Park victory Saturday night when Good Swimmer won the featured allowance turf race as the even-money favorite.

Willis was at Remington Park when opened in 1988 and currently sits third on the track’s all-time female trainers’ win list, behind only Kari Craddock (374 wins) and Lynn Chleborad (321). Veronica Griggs rounds out the top four among distaff conditioners with 131 victories.

Willis, who moved from Longacres in Washington state when Remington Park opened 36 years ago. Her first winner here was Merlin of York, who won an allowance race on Oct. 13, 1988. That began her successful run at Remington Park.

Another top horse at Remington Park for Willis has been multiple stakes winner on the grass Sunlit Song, who is still in training for her this meet. Sunlit Song has earned $752,969 in his career. She turned Merlin of York into the first stakes monster on the grass in Remington Park’s first year. He ran out $259,875. Overall in her career, Willis has started 7,547 races, winning a total of 826, running second 932 times and third another 990 times. Willis’ horse earnings lifetime are $13,767,167.

Leading rider Stewart Elliott extended his gap between the top and the second-place jockeys to double figures when he went wire to wire aboard Good Swimmer in the 7-1/2 furlong race over the grass. Elliott improved to 17 wins on the meet while Harry Hernandez and Jose Alvarez, both shut out Saturday night, remained tied in second with seven victories apiece.

Elliott pushed even-money wagering favorite Good Swimmer out of the gate to the front and milked it for all it was worth, leaving himself enough horse to prevail down the stretch, holding off all closers. The 6-year-old gelded son of Excaper, out of the Air Commander mare Fccountryday, won by a half-length over runner-up Hit One Out (6-1), who was another two lengths ahead of Computation (5-2 second favorite) in third.

Good Swimmer made every pole a winning one and gave owner Richard P. Chandler of Dallas, Texas, his third win of the meet. He earned $20,847 from the $35,000 purse and improve his career marks to 19 starts, five wins and two seconds for a bankroll of $88,101. The gelding is a home-bred in Oklahoma by his owner.

The winner paid $4 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show.

Remington Park racing now moves into September and a Wednesday through Saturday weekly schedule becomes the norm. Racing on Sept. 4-7 will begin at 6:30pm-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $357 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 simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 13. The Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby takes place on Sunday, Sept. 29. 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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