LONG RANGE TODDY WORKS, TARGETING OKLAHOMA DERBY

Long Range Toddy, winner of the 2018 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, continues to train where he began his career, putting in a half-mile workout Tuesday morning.

Owned and bred by Willis Horton Racing of Marshall, Ark. and trained by National Racing Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Long Range Toddy breezed in :50.19 under Brooke Stillion. Remington Park clocker Vicky Grothaus caught the 3-year-old colt with splits of 24-2/5 for a quarter-mile, 36-4/5 for three furlongs and then galloping out in 1:04-3/5 over a fast track. A son of Take Charge Indy from the Unbridled’s Song mare Pleasant Song, Long Range Toddy worked after the renovation break, under an overcast sky with temperatures in the low 70s.

A Kentucky-bred, Long Range Toddy is aiming for a return to action in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1-1/8 miles. Long Range Toddy has not started since the Grade 3, $500,000 Indiana Derby on July 13 at Indiana Grand.

In addition to winning Remington Park’s top 2-year-old race last year, Long Range Toddy also scored the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes here. This spring at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., Long Range Toddy continued to add to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points he accumulated in the Springboard Mile. He was second in the $150,000 Smarty Jones; third in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes; and won a division of the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes before finishing sixth in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby.

Long Range Toddy was awarded a 16th placing in the Kentucky Derby. He was then third in the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown followed by a fifth-place run in the Indiana Derby.

Welder Returns in Saturday Allowance Sprint
Welder, the 2018 Horse of the Meeting at Remington Park, is back in action after a three-month layoff this Saturday when he starts in a $40,000 open allowance at six furlongs, for 3-year-olds and older.

Owned by Ra-Max Farms of Claremore, Okla., Welder is a son of The Visualiser from the Tiznow mare Dance Softly. In 2018, Welder won four consecutive stakes events, becoming the first horse in Remington Park history to win four stakes races in the same season. Welder won the $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint (five furlongs) on a sloppy main track in his season debut on Sept. 7; the $150,000 David Vance Stakes (six furlongs), handling open company and shippers from around the country on Sept. 30; the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint Stakes (six furlongs) on Oct. 19, and the $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes (6-1/2 furlongs) on Nov. 16. All but the Vance were stakes races for eligible Oklahoma-breds.

At Remington Park, Welder has never been out of the money in his 11 starts, winning seven with three second-place runs and one more in third. His career earnings are $722,651. Welder was bred in Oklahoma by Center Hills Farm.

Welder is a slight morning-line favorite for his race on Saturday, at 6-5 odds. Jockey David Cabrera will ride. D’ Rapper, from the barn of trainer Federico Villafranco for all-time leading Remington Park owner Danny Caldwell, is the second-choice in the morning line at odds of 7-5.

The field for the sixth race on Saturday, set for 9:27pm, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:
1. D’ Rapper: Federico Villafranco, Ramon Vazquez, 7-5
2. Direct Dial: Steve Asmussen, Richard Eramia, 12-1
3. Welder: Teri Luneack, David Cabrera, 6-5
4. Rumpole: Robert Young, Iram Diego, 15-1
5. My Bling: George Bryant, Lane Luzzi, 30-1
6. Glory Stars: Allen Milligan, Lindey Wade, 8-1
7. King Of The Court: Allen Milligan, Stewart Elliott, 15-1
8. Hold Me Black: Robert Young, Ken Tohill, 20-1

The 2019 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season continues Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 28-31 with the first race set nightly at 7pm. A special Labor Day holiday program takes place on Monday, Sept. 2 with the action starting at 3pm. All times are Central.

Tracked by more than 157,000 fans on Facebook and more than 9,900 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $225 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 is the home of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby and the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, to be contested on Sept. 29. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.

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