TOP OWNER APPROACHES 300; Oklahoma Derby Day Updates
Caldwell Approaching 300 Remington Park Wins
Also during Wednesday’s races, nine-time Remington Park leading owner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. (eight owner titles in a row) paid two more visits to the winner’s circle and quickly is approaching the 300-win mark in Oklahoma City. Caldwell currently has 297 overall at Remington Park, as he posed with his winners – Our Addi Belle in the fourth race and Skirt Warning in the fifth race. Caldwell leads the current owner standings with 15 wins. Caldwell is Remington Park’s all-time leading owner by wins.
Von Hemel Possibilities for 30th Oklahoma Derby or Remington Park Oaks
Back in 1989, Von Hemel had a superstar in Clever Trevor, who took on all comers. The pundits said he would be beaten by D. Wayne Lukas’ shipper Manastash Ridge or a horse coming in from Chicago named Dotsero. At 9-2 odds, Clever Trevor cruised home to victory in the biggest Remington race of the year and rewarded his loyal local backers, with jockey Don Pettinger in the irons. He went on to race in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint before closing his career in 1993.
This year, Von Hemel has two fillies – Cosmic Burst and Sydney Freeman – as his nominees for both the Derby and the Oaks. Cosmic Burst won the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes at Remington Park last year for her third win in four career starts. Since then, the 3-year-old filly by Violence, out of the Ghostzapper mare Peggy Ring, has gone on to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Honey Bee Stakes at Oaklawn Park, ran fourth in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy Stakes, the top 3-year-old filly race in Hot Springs, Ark., and was the runner-up in the Grade 3, $200,000 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows. She is owned by Norma Lee Stockseth and Todd Dunn of Hot Springs. The filly has earned $327,780 in her career from four wins, two seconds and one third in nine tries.
Sydney Freeman, owned by Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla., won the $75,000 Slide Show Stakes at Remington Park last year and has $123,865 bankrolled from 13 starts, two wins, two seconds and two thirds.
Oaks Contender May Stay in California
One of the fillies that was a possible starter in the Oaks will not race at Remington this weekend as her connections have opted out of the race. True Royalty, who was expected in from the West Coast, will not be here. Trainer John Sadler worked her Sunday, Sept. 23, at Santa Anita and will point the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes winner at Del Mar elsewhere.
Oklahoma Derby Day, Sunday, Sept. 30 at 3pm
Remington Park, racing continues with an extra day this week, as Sunday has been added to feature the big Oklahoma Derby Day program. Oklahoma Derby Day has a 3pm-Central first post and includes the top 3-year-old race of the meet, a Grade 3 event with a $400,000 purse; the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies; the $175,000 Governor’s Cup; $150,000 David Vance Stakes; $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes; $75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes; $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial; $70,000 Red Earth Stakes; $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes, and $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes. The card that day will feature 12 races with total purses of more than $1.3 million.
Next week there will be no racing on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The schedule that week will be Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 4-6.