TRAINER ROBERTINO DIODORO RECORDS 100TH VICTORY AT REMINGTON PARK

Second-leading trainer at Remington Park, Robertino Diodoro, scored his 100th victory at Remington Park on Sunday with heavy favorite Chrome Baby winning the third race of the day.

Under leading jockey Ramon Vazquez, Chrome Baby (3-5 odds), came from 10 lengths back after a half mile of the one-mile race to pass the three front-runners in the turn for home. He stretched his lead to three lengths in the stretch. It seemed like it was a sealed deal at that point, but Ethical Judgement (3-1 second favorite) was not done. Jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr., urged Ethical Judgement on and only lost by three-quarters of a length. Miami Moonlight (8-1) checked in third, another 7-1/4 lengths behind. The top three finishers were the back three in the first half-mile of the race.

Chrome Baby paid $3.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. The 6-year-old horse by California Chrome, out of the Super Saver mare Star Super, stopped the timer in 1:37.68 over the fast track. With two Kentucky Derby winners in that pedigree, top and bottom, the one-mile distance was to Chrome Baby’s liking. He is owned by Purple Rein Stables of New York, N.Y., and was bred in Kentucky by Taylor Brothers Properties and George E. Saufley, et. al.

Chrome Baby cut into early fractions set by Shadowless (7-1) of :24.16 for the first quarter-mile, :47.57 for the half-mile and 1:12.12 for three-quarters of a mile. The winner then set the 7-furlongs time of 1:24.63.

Chrome Baby earned $10,734 for his owners from the conditional claiming race purse of $18,000, and improved his lifetime record to 37 starts, 10 wins, five seconds and six thirds for a bankroll of $284,317. Chrome Baby ran for a claiming price of $10,000 Sunday.

In his career, Diodoro, who is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has had 16,009 starts with 3,350 wins; 2,646 seconds, and 2,108 thirds for horses’ earnings of $73,018,005, according to Equibase statistics.

Diodoro’s top earner in his career is Lone Rock at $1,446,291, the winner of the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes at Belmont Park in New York. Lone Rock also is a past winner of the Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial Stakes at Remington Park in 2018.

Among Diodoro’s top wins at Remington Park was the 2013 Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby with Broadway Empire.

Diodoro, a multiple graded stakes-winning trainer, has been trying to upset the apple cart all meet for 19-time training-title winner here, Steve Asmussen. Going into Sunday’s racing, Asmussen held a 24-19 lead over Diodoro, but the latter’s 100th victory closed that gap to 24-20.

Asmussen March to 11,000
Asmussen also was trying to move closer to his 11,000th win lifetime in North America, but was shut out at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., and Remington Park on Sunday, so he ends the day with 10,995 wins. He has four horses in at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Monday.

Vazquez Extends Lead with Another Riding Triple Sunday
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Remington Park’s leading rider Ramon Vazquez continued to pull away from the pack in the jockey standings with a riding triple Sunday.

Vazquez was already looking uncatchable before the race day began with a 42-27 lead over two-time defending champion rider Stewart Elliott and that was extended to 45-27 after Vazquez’s big day.

His three winners were City Ghost ($3.40 to win) in the second (owner-breeder Russell Welch of Longview, Texas; trainer Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez); Chrome Baby in the third, and Twelve Volt ($14.20) in the seventh (owner End Zone Athletics, Karl Broberg of Mansfield, Texas, breeder Baseline Equine in California).

Remington Park racing continues Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 9-11. The first race nightly is at 6pm-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $390 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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