TRAINING ICON C.R. TROUT MAY BE LOADED FOR BEAR AT REMINGTON PARK, 2-YEAR-OLD ROYALAMERICAN WORKS BULLET

Trainer C.R. Trout is 80 years old now and walks with a cane because of recent hip-replacement surgery three weeks ago, but don’t count him out for this upcoming Remington Park meet that starts Aug. 8.

After all, his competitors don’t have to race against the octogenarian, just some of the speedsters that make Trout happy to get up at 5 a.m. to come to the barn. One of the horses that has him rushing to the track is a 2-year-old unraced dark bay gelding named Royalamerican. The Oklahoma-bred by Upstart, out of the Creative Cause mare Scat for the Cause, worked a bullet for three furlongs on Tuesday morning at Remington Park in :34.73, handily.

“He reminds me of Shotgun Kowboy,” Trout said.

That’s quite the compliment for a horse that hasn’t raced yet. Shotgun Kowboy is one of two millionaire horses Trout has conditioned since he began his career officially in 1991. The other is Maysville Slew. Shotgun Kowboy was a multiple graded stakes winner who won 15-of-40 races lifetime and is in the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park. In his career, he won $1,548,684. So, when his name is resurrected in the same sentence as Royalamerican, eyebrows tend to rise.

“When I look at him, Kowboy comes to mind a whole lot,” said Trout, who makes his home on a ranch in Edmond, Okla. “He has a great attitude; easy going. And he likes to train. The bullet work didn’t surprise me at all.”

Royalamerican’s exercise rider, Barron Spann, said the juvenile gelding “has a longer stride than most of them I work.” His three-furlong bullet Tuesday was the fastest of the day at the distance among 14 that worked the distance. Royalamerican’s sire (dad), Upstart, won 4-of-15 starts and earned $1,732,780 as a multiple graded stakes winner. On top of that, Upstart is currently the No. 2 sire in the country for 2-year-old racehorses. His progeny have earned $373,040 this year, trailing only the youngsters of Yaupon that have made $439,723 on the track. Trout owns and also bred Royalamerican.

Trout has had a stellar career, winning 376 times with 2,103 starters for earnings of $12,507,732, numbers and a Remington Park career that also placed him in the Hall of Fame here. However, he hasn’t been happy with his last few years. His horses earned more than $600,000 in 2022, but in each of the two subsequent years, they made less than $200,000.

“I just haven’t had time to get to the barn the past couple of years, due to other business,” he said. “But this year, it’s exciting again. I have eight Okie-breds eligible for the Oklahoma Classics.”

It hasn’t been an easy return to the barn for Trout. He had his right hip replaced three weeks ago.

“I had bone on bone pain for about five to six months and just figured it was time,” Trout said.

Trout asked his assistant, Andy Gladd, when Royalamerican would likely make his first start as soon as possible.

“Opening weekend,” Gladd said. Gladd, who has been a full-time trainer his entire professional life, intimated that he is trying to get out of that end of the business and is happy to be handling Trout’s stock. He was in charge of Trout’s string at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., this spring and they had a banner meet. When the meet began at WRD, Trout won with his first four starters – Seriously Outahere, Paynt Ball and Letta’s Legacy, twice.

Trout had another bullet work this morning as 2-year-old Moneymilitia handled three furlongs in :38.17. He owned and bred by Trout in Kentucky, Moneymilitia is by Volatile from the Violence mare High Price Hit.

Letta’s Legacy, named for Trout’s late wife, has been the main flag-bearer for the Trout barn as of late. The stakes winner has run no worse than second in 10-of-12 starts lifetime and will try to add to that success tonight at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Okla., against stakes company. The 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Practical Joke, out of the Sunday Break (JPN) mare Sundayville Break has secured $162,700 in her career bankroll. Trout owns and bred her as well.

To top it all off, Trout has a 3-year-old first-time starter in his barn that towers above them all in stature. They almost had to cut a hole in the roof of the barn to accommodate Okie Joker. This sophomore candidate for the winner’s circle stands at 17-2 hands and weighs well over 1,200 pounds. Okie Joker worked three furlongs this morning in :38.64.

Some of Trout’s other 3-year-olds he is looking forward to watching are Storm On the Beach and While I. The latter got his name because one of the boys Trout grew up with was always saying, “you boys go do this and go do that, while I…and he did nothing,” Trout laughs.

As far as jockeys go, Trout said he will be using the likes of the prodigal son Ramon Vazquez, who hasn’t ridden at Remington Park regularly since 2022. His sabbatical away from Oklahoma City saw him ride at Santa Anita, Oaklawn and Churchill Downs. Vazquez won the riding title at Remington Park in 2017 with 93 winners from 403 mounts. He is coming to Oklahoma City fresh off winning a riding title at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas with 55 winners. David Cabrera, who dethroned Vazquez as top jockey at Remington in 2018 (Vazquez was second) is also among the riders that has had success out of the Trout barn.

The 2025 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season begins Aug. 8. The new regular post time is 6pm-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $380 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 Thoroughbred Season begins August 8. 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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