PALUXY READY TO DEFEND GOVERNOR’S CUP TITLE ON OPENING NIGHT AT REMINGTON PARK
It appears not only will Paluxy be trying to defend his title in the first stakes race of the meet – the $100,000 Governor’s Cup – but he also will be trying to retain his status as king of the barn in the Opening Night feature.
The Governor’s Cup, for 3-year-olds and older, is the main event for the first night of the Thoroughbred season on Friday, Aug. 16.
Trainer Scott Young said it will be a rematch in the Governor’s Cup of Paluxy going head-to-head on opening night, Friday, Aug. 16, with stablemate and multiple stakes winner Number One Dude. Last year they finished first and fourth respectively in the season’s stakes opener.
Paluxy, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Brody’s Cause, out of the Master Command mare Miss Pippa, won the Governor’s Cup last year at Remington Park by a head at 24-1 odds for owners Blue and Gold (Mike, Clint and Chris Combs and Shane White) of Kingfisher, Okla. He was bred by Spendthrift Farm.
“I knew the pace would set up perfect for him, but I sure didn’t know if he could beat that (Steve Asmussen horse) Presidential,” said Young, 39, who makes his home at a farm in Pryor, Okla.
Presidential was expected to be a tough cookie in last year’s Governor’s Cup, but he wasn’t even the favorite. Nationally regaled trainer Brad Cox had the 3-5 top choice in Warrant and that’s who Paluxy had to pass in the final yards to the wire to win at the huge price under jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr.
Number One Dude has won multiple Oklahoma-bred stakes for owner Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla., at both Remington Park and Will Rogers Downs in Claremore. The Dude’s last stakes win at Remington Park came in the $70,000 Red Earth Stakes on Sept. 23, 2022.
The pair from Young’s barn went to the track for their first workout of the meet together on Friday, July 26, going six furlongs over a fast track. Number One Dude was timed in 1:13.45 (handily) while Paluxy managed 1:13.66 (handily).
Number One Dude, is a 6-year-old Oklahoma-bred son of American Lion, out of the Macho Uno mare Ebony Uno, and was bred by Westemeir.
Paluxy has won 7-of-24 lifetime with five seconds and four thirds for earnings of $255,078. Number One Dude has won 10-of-30 lifetime with nine seconds and two thirds for a bankroll of $536,685.
“Blue and Gold really wanted to defend their title in the Governor’s Cup and there really aren’t a lot of races Dude is eligible for as a 6-year-old Oklahoma-bred stakes winner, so that’s how they end up against each other,” Young said.
Young said Paluxy is a lamb in the barn but turns into a lion when he gets to the track.
“He’s a kind horse, very gently, quiet in the barn; you wouldn’t even know he is there,” said Young. “But when he gets to the track he’s all business; very aggressive. Paluxy was coming off a layoff when he won the Governor’s Cup last year (40 days).”
This year it will be a little longer – more than six months – since Paluxy last stepped foot on a track for a race. He ran sixth in allowance-optional claiming company at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas on Feb. 4.
“The mile and an eighth off a layoff is a bit of a concern,” Young said, “but not that much. There was nothing wrong with him. We just wanted to freshen him up for this. He sure acts like he is ready.”
Young has nothing but good things to say about Dude, too.
“He looks fantastic,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep him happy. We’ll go in the Governor’s Cup and point him to the Oklahoma Classics Cup in October.”
This is the 12th year for Young to train horses since retiring as a jockey. He actually used to ride against Wethey in the first decade of the 2000s. As a trainer, Young’s record is 4,193 starters, 768 firsts, 640 seconds and 527 wins for horse earnings of $15,431,761. As a jockey, he had 3,292 mounts, won 282 times, finished second 327 times and was third in another 359 races for a bankroll of $3,420,009.
Young said he is excited about a lot of horses in his barn this meet, including Change It Up, Agent Peter Graves, Hot Gunner, Booze in the Blender and later in the meet – Copper Magician.
WORKOUT NEWS
Saturday, July 27 was the busiest day of the Remington Park pre-season for workouts thus far as horses prepare for that opening night of Friday, Aug. 16. A total of 116 horses received official workouts Saturday morning.
Brother Reid, a 7-year-old gelding, covered four furlongs Saturday in :47.58 handily to earn bullet status. He is trained by Ray Ashford and has won 4-of-20 starts lifetime for $104,281 in earnings according to Equibase.
On Tuesday, July 30, Remington Park had 46 horses go to the track for official workouts and the top four-furlong time was nabbed by Accelerate Judy in :47.75 handily. Accelerate Judy is a 4-year-old filly racing out of the Kevin Scholl barn. Her record is 13-2-1-5 with earnings of $73,690.
Wednesday morning, July 31, Rebelena posted a four-furlong bullet work in :48.19 (handily) over a fast track. Bred in Oklahoma by owner/trainer Francisco Bravo, Rebelena is a 3-year-old filly by Latent Heat from the Broken Vow mare Miss Snow Nose. Rebelena is seeking her first career win this season. To date, she has four starts with one second and a pair of thirds.
Remington Park has provided more than $354 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 will begin on August 16. 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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