ERIK ASMUSSEN, ROBERTINO DIODORO EARN LIP CHIP HONORS AT REMINGTON PARK

Based on the solid rock week of winning 7-of-20 mounts and five trips to the winner’s circle in one night, Erik Asmussen has been honored with the Lip Chip Jockey of the Week at Remington Park for his efforts Oct. 8-10.

Robertino Diodoro’s barn was almost as impressive with his three wins with only eight starters and, consequently, he was named the Lip Chip Trainer of the Week.

Asmussen’s huge night came on Friday, Oct. 9, when he bagged five winners, including four in a row from races five through eight. He then rounded out the night with a winner in the 10th race, the finale on the card. Overall during the week, six of his seven victories came for his father, trainer Steve Asmussen, the 20-time training title winner at Remington Park.

Diodoro had two winners on Thursday night and one winner Saturday.

Asmussen’s first winner of the week came with Invasion Girl from trainer Kari Craddock’s barn in the ninth race on Thursday, Oct. 8. That 3-year-old filly, owned by Crescent Capital, was an easy winner by two lengths in allowance company as the 6-5 odds wagering favorite, going about 7-1/2 furlongs on the turf.

Asmussen’s gigantic week in the saddle was accentuated by his five winners on Friday night. The most amazing thing about that magical night was that he had no winners through four races. Then the heavens opened up and you couldn’t keep him out of the winner’s circle. He won the fifth aboard Oban ($3 to win), the sixth with Cant Stop Munnings ($4.40), the seventh in the saddle of First Player ($6) and the eighth in the irons of Extra Anejo ($3.40). The winning streak stopped momentarily when he was third aboard Private Debbie in the ninth, but it culminated with a victory in the 10th when Pass the Roses ($6.80) broke his maiden. The top winner of the night had to be Extra Anejo, a graded stakes winner from 2025, who won the featured allowance race.

The week that propelled Asmussen back into the lead in the jockeys’ standings ahead of David Cabrera ended with a win in the sixth race on Saturday night as he booted home his seventh winner of the week with Rational Theory.

Asmussen was the 2024 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey in North America.

Diodoro’s three winners of his eight starters were Unrivaled Hero and Scribble on Thursday night and Akkadevi on Saturday. The latter broke her maiden and the two earlier trips to the winner’s circle came after claiming events. Jockey Geovanni Franco was given a leg up in all three winning races for Diodoro.

A native of Canada, Diodoro has built an impressive bio in his career, winning nearly 3,500 races since he began training in 1995. His horses earnings, according to Equibase statistics, have surpassed $75 million. Among his most decorated horses had to be Keepmeinmind, who won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as a contender for the 2021 Kentucky Derby. He has trained two millionaires in his career – Heroic Move ($1,237,701), a winner at Remington Park this meet on Sept. 17 among allowance horses, and Lone Rock ($1,166,974), both graded stakes winners.

Diodoro’s biggest Remington Park win came when he saddled Broadway Empire for his score in the 2013 Oklahoma Derby.

Remington Park racing continues Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 14-17 with the first race nightly at 6:30pm-Central. The highlight of the week is the 34th edition of the Oklahoma Classics on Friday, Oct. 16.

Remington Park has provided more than $429 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. The 2026 edition of the Oklahoma Classics, the top night of stakes racing for Oklahoma-breds, is set for Friday, Oct. 16 at Remington Park. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.