U. S. ARMY FIRES BIG ARTILLERY, GIVING JOCKEY DAVID CABRERA HIS THIRD WIN THURSDAY AT REMINGTON PARK

The 4-year-old gelding U. S. Army pulled out the big guns and blew his competition away in the feature race Thursday night at Remington Park, giving jockey David Cabrera his third trip to the winner’s circle.

U. S. Army is owned by George Sharp of Delray Beach, Fla. and is trained by “Cowboy” Shawn Davis.

It was the fifth win in eight tries at Remington Park for the Kentucky-bred gelded son of Army Mule, out of the War Front mare She Stays Rollin. The score came in the seventh race, going six furlongs on the main fast track.

The victory was the first for U. S. Army since winning the $75,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial on Dec. 13, 2023 at Remington Park. The winner’s circle had eluded him in seven starts this year, with one second-place (beaten only a neck) in a March allowance race and a third-place run (beaten 5-1/4 lengths) in an allowance in January. Both of those in-the-money efforts came at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

On Thursday night, Cabrera sat chilly on U.S. Army in fifth out of the gate and raced mid-pack most of the way. By the time he and his mount reached the top of the stretch, U.S. Army had collared front-running Dean’s List (9-2) and drew away by 2-1/2 lengths at the wire. U.S. Army was sent off as the wagering favorite at 3-5 odds and paid $3.20 to win, $2.20 to place and $2.10 to show. Dean’s List was another 7-3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Blue Light (9-2).

U.S. Army stopped the timer for the six-furlong race in 1:09.90. Dean’s List had set early fractions of :22.38 for the first quarter-mile and :45.36 for the half-mile before the winner took over after five-eighths in :57.40. U.S. Army earned $22,698 from the $38,000 purse and improved his record to 21 starts, six wins, six seconds and three thirds for $266,192.

U. S. Army gives Davis his third win of the meet, all with Sharp-owned horses.

Cabrera’s other two wins on the night came aboard Okie Magic ($18) in the first race and Daryls Trump Card ($33.80) in the fourth. Cabrera won the riding title at Remington Park in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 before the injury bug moved in.

“I promise you I’m 100 percent now,” Cabrera said prior to this meet. “You are going to see the David Cabrera that won those four riding titles.”

Cabrera’s three victories gave him six for the meet and he now trails only Stewart Elliott (11) and Jose Alvarez (7).

Cabrera, who has battled two major injuries the past two years (a brain bleed in 2022 and a broken femur in 2023), is looking for his fifth Pat Steinberg trophy as top jockey at Remington Park. He has his work cut out for him, trailing last year’s runaway winner Elliott. Cabrera sits five wins behind him in the third week of racing.

Don Gibb originally bought U.S. Army for $8,000 at the Keeneland January 2021 Sale for Horses of All Ages and then pinhooked him back into the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of All Ages Sale of 2021. Sharp bought him in that sale for $32,000. U.S. Army was bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables.

DOUDOUDOUWANADANCE PULLS OFF UPSET IN OPEN TURF ALLOWANCE, BEATING REMINGTON’S QUEEN OF TURF, 6-5 FAVORITE RUN SLEWPY RUN
At 7-1 odds, 4-year-old daughter of Magna Graduate – Doudoudouwanadance – pulled off an upset of seven-time winner on the grass at Remington Park, Run Slewpy Run for owner Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla.

Jockey Leandro Goncalves got on the board in the rider standings for the first time this meet, pushing the pace with Doudoudouwanadance throughout then passing early leader Connectable in the turn for home. The winning filly is an Oklahoma home-bred for Westemeir from his mare Ebony Uno, and she was impressive beating open company on the firm turf at 7-1/2 furlongs for trainer Scott Young.

Run Slewpy Run is now 7-for-10 in wins on the lawn at Remington Park. She had not raced since Oct. 20 of last year, winning her last two in a row here in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf and the $50,000 Bob Barry Memorial.
Doudoudouwanadance, named for a Beach Boys song, won for the first time in her debut on the Remington Park turf after winning the first three races of her career in a row on the dirt here in 2022 – a maiden race, the Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes and the Slide Show Stakes. She had not won a race since the Slide Show on Nov. 11, 2022.

She earned $21,345 for this victory and improved to 16-4-1-1, $170,634 in earnings. Contour (26-1) checked in second, two lengths back and was followed by two dead-heating for third – Jalouse (23-1) and No Mas Tequila (2-1 second favorite). They were 3-1/4 lengths behind the winner. Run Slewpy Run could do no better than sixth.

Remington Park racing continues Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30 & 31, with the first race nightly 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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