Bayerd Named Horse of the Meeting at Remington, Track Posts Increased Numbers

Bayerd (inside) defeats Shotgun Cowboy to win the Springboard Mile (Photo by Dustin Orona Photography)
Bayerd (inside) defeats Shotgun Cowboy to win the Springboard Mile (Photo by Dustin Orona Photography)

Winning two of the three top stakes races for 2-year-olds this season at Remington Park, helped Bayerd seal up honors as the track’s 2014 Horse of the Meeting.

Owned by Clark Brewster of Tulsa, Okla. and trained by Steve Asmussen, Bayerd won the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes in September. He posted victory in a thriller over rival Shotgun Kowboy in the $250,000 Springboard Mile on the season’s final day.

Bayerd was also voted the Champion 2-year-old male for his pair of stakes wins. He is a Kentucky-bred colt by Speightstown from the Cherokee Run mare Cherokee Jewel.

Shotgun Kowboy, who defeated Bayerd in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes in November, earned honors as Champion Oklahoma-bred. Owned and trained by C.R. Trout of Edmond, Okla., Shotgun Kowboy was third in the Kip Deville and second beaten just a head in the Springboard Mile. He was an emphatic winner in the $86,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile.

Zooming – Champion 2-year-old Female
Ending the season with a three-race win streak, with the final event being the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes on the season’s final day, was enough to gain Zooming top 2-year-old Female honors.

Owned by Carl Moore Management of Kennedale, Texas and trained by Bret Calhoun, Zooming broke her maiden status in October. She then won an allowance race in November before her Trapeze triumph.

Tonito M. – Champion 3-year-old Male
A sharp win in his only local attempt, the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, was enough to make Tonito M. the Champion 3-year-old Male in a unanimous vote.

Owned by Mickey Gonzalez of M Racing Group LLC of San Juan, Puerto Rico and trained by National Racing Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Tonito M. was ridden to victory by Rafael Bejarano.

Okie Smokey – Champion 3-year-old Female
Using her exhilarating late-running style to score three times, Okey Smokey captured top 3-year-old female honors.

Owned by the Richter Family Trust of Perkins, Okla. and trained by Carlos Padilla, Okey Smokey won in allowance company then posted victory in the $138,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff and the $50,000 Useeit Stakes. All three of her come-from-behind victories came against Oklahoma-breds.

Code West – Champion Older Male
Victory in his only attempt of the season, the $175,000 Governor’s Cup, earned the Older Male honors for Code West.

Owned by Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla. and trained by Boyd Caster, Code West won Remington Park’s richest event for older horses in August.

Bringinginthelute – Champion Older Female
Owned and trained by C.R. Trout of Edmond, Okla., Bringinginthelute won just one of her six races but managed a pair of seconds and thirds to help garner votes as Older Female.

Rallying to win the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf in October, Bringinginthelute was second in September’s Ladies on the Lawn Stakes.

Okie Ride – Champion Sprinter
Okie Ride was voted the season’s top sprinter after dancing in all sprint stakes where he was eligible.

A winner in the Remington Park Turf Sprint in early September, Okie Ride was third in the David M. Vance Sprint in August; off the board after a troubled trip in the Remington Park Sprint Cup; second in the Oklahoma Classics Sprint; then second in an allowance and the Silver Goblin Stakes later in the season.

Owned by the Richter Family Trust of Perkins, Okla., Okie Ride is trained by Kenny Nolen.

Greengrassofyoming – Champion Turf Performer
Winning the richest turf stakes race of the season in his only local attempt was enough for Greengrassofyoming to gain top Turf Performer.

Owned by Patricia’s Hope of Barrington, lll., Greengrassofyoming was trained to his win in the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes by Mike Tomlinson.

Crusin’ Main – Champion Claimer
A winner of four races, Crusin’ Main was the Champion Claimer and was very popular among horsemen throughout the 2014 season.

Claimed three times, the 7-year-old Crusin’ Main competed in races for claiming price levels of $6,250 up to $20,000 and attempted a couple of Oklahoma-bred stakes events as well.

As far the wagering business at the track, Remington recorded across the board increases for the meet, continuing a positive trend for Oklahoma racing.

Remington Park also experienced an increase in average field size in 2014 compared to the 2013 season, helping draw the attention of more horseplayers. Over the 607 races conducted this season, Remington Park averaged 9.4 starters per race. A year ago, the average was still a very respectable 9.1 starters per race.

Total handle on Remington Park racing in 2014 was $56,950,002 for an increase of 8.1% over the total from 2013. Continued appreciation for quality of racing and field size was evident in the results of the handle from the races exported to other jurisdictions. The export handle of $51,823,954 was up 8.1% compared to a year ago.

Remington Park enjoyed a handle increase on-track as well with $4,745,148 wagered, up 5.4% from the on-track handle in 2013. Remington Park’s three Off-Track sites in Oklahoma City handled $380,900 for an increase of 48.4% against the same statistic from last year.

“We’re very pleased with the results of the 2014 thoroughbred season,” said Matt Vance, Remington Park vice president of racing and wagering. “Through a collaborative marketing effort over the past two years with the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma, we have a sponsorship agreement with TVG. That has driven more play towards Remington Park and more specifically, Advance Deposit Wagering play that has spiked this year. More customers now realize the quality of our pools, field size and local horsemen.”

The 2014 increases for all three of the categories that comprise the Remington Park handle statistics, marks the first time that has happened for the Oklahoma City track since 2006. The 2014 season is the second in a row that Remington Park has posted an increase in its total handle.

The 2014 Remington Park season was 67 dates in length versus 66 in 2013. There were 607 races contested this year, while 600 were run a year ago. In comparing the averages, Remington Park still posted increases over 2013. The daily average on Remington Park racing was $850,000, up 6.5% over the average of $798,150 last year.

Remington Park endured no loss of racing or race dates in 2014 due to severe weather. There were three scheduled race dates canceled in 2013 due to a December winter storm. Remington Park made up two of the dates last year with an extended season into mid-December.