Top Oklahoma-breds Prepare for Remington Park Meet

Remington Park

Remington ParkA pair of stakes-winning Oklahoma-breds, with a shared trophy between them, worked this morning at Remington Park. Bright, sunny skies and warming temperatures from the high 70s greeted the athletes this morning over a fast main track.

Okie Ride and Z Rockstar, dead-heat winners of the Silver Goblin Stakes for Oklahoma-breds in November 2013 at Remington Park, each had official workouts on Wednesday. Okie Ride breezed a half-mile in :51.93 seconds while Z Rockstar turned in the fastest time of the morning at five furlongs, stopping the official clock of Vicky Grothaus in 1:00.24, handily. A total of 42 Thoroughbreds put in official works today. The 2014 Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park begins on Friday, Aug. 15.

Okie Ride is preparing for his first start since that shared triumph in the Silver Goblin Stakes while Z Rockstar will attempt to continue what has been a strong 2014 to this point.

Owned and bred by Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla. and trained by Donnie Von Hemel, Z Rockstar has already won three races this year. He was first in two different Oklahoma-bred spring Classic races held at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla. The 5-year-old gelding scored at six furlongs in April before coming back to win at 1 mile-70 yards in May.

After handling state-bred company, Z Rockstar moved to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. where he won an allowance event in June for his third consecutive victory. The triumph came at seven furlongs and was his second career win at the revered Churchill Downs.

A son of Rockport Harbor from the Nasty And Bold mare Nasty Little Star, Z Rockstar has posted 10 wins from 35 starts with six second-place runs and another seven third-place finishes. He has won four of 12 races at Remington Park. His career earnings stand at $403,128.

Okie Ride has been one of the more dominant Oklahoma-bred sprinters at Remington Park in recent years. The dead-heat win in the 2013 Silver Goblin Stakes with Z Rockstar was his second consecutive score in that race for Oklahoma-breds.

Owned and bred by the Richter Family Trust of Perkins, Okla. and trained by Kenny Nolen, Okie Ride also won the Remington Park Turf Sprint for Oklahoma-breds in 2013. He also has a pair of Oklahoma Classics Sprint wins on his resume, winning that $100,000 event for eligible state-breds in both 2011 and 2012.

A 7-year-old gelding by Candy Ride (Arg) from the Geiger Counter mare Tic Tic, Okie Ride has won 11 of 27 career attempts with five second-place runs and another four third-place efforts. He has won nine career races at Remington Park and now boasts overall earnings of $467,219.

Live racing returns to Remington Park on Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 16. The initial stakes races of the season take place on opening Saturday with the $175,000 Governor’s Cup at 1-1/8 for 3-year-olds and up and the $75,000 David M. Vance Sprint at six furlongs, also for 3-year-olds and up. The first race nightly is at 7pm.

Remington Park is open daily at 10:30am for simulcast racing and casino gaming, featuring the Bricktown Brewery on the casino floor. Admission, general parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park, the home of the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday, Sept. 28.

Tracked by over 60,000 fans on Facebook and 5,500 Twitter followers, Remington Park is Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino and is located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.