VETERAN JOCKEY STEWART ELLIOTT, ERNESTO VALDEZ-JIMENEZ WIN SEVEN OF NINE RACES AT REMINGTON PARK

Two jockeys dominated the races Thursday night at Remington Park, winning seven of the nine races on the card – Stewart Elliott with a four and Ernesto Valdez-Jimenez scoring three.

In fact, the only other jockey to win a race was Erik Asmussen, who recorded two wins. His father, Steve Asmussen, made sure he is well on his way to his 20th training title here with four wins of his own. That gave him 42 wins for the meet to second-place Robertino Diodoro’s 28. Erik and Elliott won two apiece for Asmussen.

Elliott got his big night started with a win in the second race, as expected with 4-5 odds-on favorite Tresillian for trainer Mindy Willis. Even though it took nine races for this 3-year-old gelding to win for the first time, he almost repeated that effort against winners the next out, running second on Sept. 27 at Remington Park with claiming $7,500 non-winners of two, losing by only a length. Elliott returned to the saddle for Willis after Tresillian broke his maiden with him on Aug. 29 here. Horse and jockey have now won their last two together.

Tresillian is owned by Tag Stables and Naukabena Farms of Richmond, Texas, and was bred in Kentucky by Milt Policzer. The gelding by Frosted, out of the Decarchy mare Kiss at Midnight, paid $3.80 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. He covered the five furlongs in a swift time over a fast track in :57.77. He won by five easy lengths as Elliott stalked early pacesetter Lord Hennessy (10-1) until the turn for home and then, like a walk in the park, swooped on by. Lord Hennessy finished third, 3-1/2 lengths behind runner-up Close Call (11-1) as horses were lined up down the stretch in
I-formation.

Elliott’s second victory came aboard Awesome Name for Asmussen in the fourth race as that 2-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Hard Spun, out of the Into Mischief mare Judy to the Rescue, broke his maiden against maiden special weight juvenile colts and geldings. Awesome Name, owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, was also bred by his owners.

Awesome Name was 0-for-4 coming into Thursday night’s race, but Elliott was able to run down first-time starter Astro Beau in the stretch to win by a half-length. He was sent off at a generous 6-1 odds and paid $15 to win, $9.80 to place and $6.20 to show.

Awesome Name improved to five starts, one win and two thirds for $31,793 in earnings. It was this gelding’s second start of the meet after being soundly defeated first time out here, running sixth by 18-3/4 lengths, but he had an excuse. He was coming off a layoff from July 13 to Sept. 6 when he ran that race. Obviously, Asmussen and Elliott had him ready to roll on this night. He covered the 6-1/2 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:19.69. Awesome Name came from the clouds, in sixth position early, seven lengths behind the pacesetter.

Elliott, a Kentucky Derby-winning jockey aboard Smarty Jones in 2004 and two-time defending champion rider at Remington Park, tripled up in the fifth race with Flat Out Fancy for trainer Jesse Oberlander and owner Barry Koch of Kit Carson, Colo., getting up by three-quarters of a length with a move from seven lengths back after a half-mile of the seven furlongs on the fast main track. Flat Out Fancy, a 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Flat Out, from the After Market mare Stormquility, won for the third time in 16 starts, this time against $10,000 claiming Oklahoma-bred fillies and mares, 3-year-olds-and-older.

The Robisons and Asmussen provided Elliott with his fourth and final trip to the winner’s circle when scoring in the race nine finale aboard McMusic. The 3-year-old gelding overcame contact at the start in the field of 14, stumbling at one point, before getting into stride and maneuvering through traffic to get into position. Once in the stretch of the six-furlong race, McMusic collared Knock’em Out Jerry to go on to a two-length victory.

The wagering favorite at 4-5 odds, McMusic paid $3.60 to win. He is by Maclean’s Music from the Curlin mare Angelia and was bred in Kentucky by Candy Meadows.

Ernesto Valdez-Jimenez nearly matched Elliott’s four-bagger as the two swept races 2-7 and then the fourth win of the night came down to the final race as Elliott ran first and Valdez-Jimenez second aboard Knock’em Out Jerry. Valdez-Jimenez’s three trips to the winner’s circle came in the irons of Slades Tank in race three, Sixhoofsevenhoof in the sixth and The Cajun Gatsby in the seventh. Those horses went off at 2-1, 5-1 and 16-1 odds, respectively.

Valdez-Jimenez made it exciting, winning with Slade’s Tank by a neck against $20,000 claiming non-winners of two for Oklahoma-bred 3-year-olds-and-older, going 5-1/2 furlongs over a fast main track. The gelded son of Tank Commander, out of the Cactus Ridge mare Miss Bristles, covered the distance in 1:03.78. He paid $6 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.20 to show. Slade’s Tank is owned by Dream Walkin Farms (Tonni Covel) of Norman, Okla. He was bred by the owner.

Valdez-Jimenez doubled in the sixth when Sixhoofsevenhoof also got up in the last jump by a neck and paid $13.20 to win, $4.60 to place and $2.40 to show. That came in a $10,000 claiming race for non-winners-of-three, 3-year-olds-and-older at seven furlongs on the dirt. The 3-year-old colt by Dialed In, out of the Empire Maker mare Tulipmania, is trained by Brent Davidson. He is owned by Davidson and Lucas Krogman of Paris, Texas. He was bred in New York by Gallagher’s Stud. It was the colt’s third win in only six tries.

The hat trick was completed for Valdez-Jimenez in the seventh race when longshot The Cajun Gatsby won at 7-1/2 furlongs on the turf course for trainer Ronnie Cravens III. Valdez-Jimenez took the 2-year-old gelded son of Jay Gatsby, from the Red Rocks (IRE) mare Ransom Red, gate to wire. He paid a whopping $35.40 to win, $19.60 to place and $9.80 to show. The Cajun Gatsby, owned by Dennis Malone of Carencro, La., was making only his second start and first one on the turf. He was bred in Louisiana by Adcock’s Red River Farm.

Steve Asmussen’s winners were While I ($5.20) in the first, a horse that he had claimed last time out for $20,000; Awesome Name in the fourth, Adogate ($6.60) in the eighth and McMusic in the ninth.

While I is owned and trained by Asmussen and was ridden by son Erik. Adogate is owned by Douglas Scharbauer of Midland, Texas and also had Erik in the saddle. This daughter of champion Arrogate won for the third time in seven tries. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly is a home-bred.

Remington Park racing continues Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31 & Nov. 1. The first race both nights is at 6:20pm-Central, due to simulcast racing taken from Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

Remington Park has provided more than $396 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 Springboard Mile, a 2026 Kentucky Derby qualifying points race, takes place Saturday, Dec. 20, the final night of the Thoroughbred Season. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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