For Immediate Release
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
STAR QUALITY NOMINATED TO 2010 OKLAHOMA DERBY, GRADED WINNERS ALREADY PREPPING AT REMINGTON
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Remington Park racing office has released the nomination lists for a big Oklahoma Derby Weekend of stakes racing, led by the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. The premier race of the season pulled in 35 nominees, many of them graded stakes winners, including the winner of the Preakness Stakes, Lookin At Lucky.
However, Lookin At Lucky won the Indiana Derby earlier today and barring a flashback to an era that is long gone, when horses routinely raced on a few days rest, his connections will not consider any sort of trip to Remington Park. Lookin At Lucky’s next engagement will be the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6.
Among the remaining nominees that will compete in the state’s richest Thoroughbred event on Sunday, Oct. 10, Pleasant Prince, Professor Pollard, No Hesitation and Distorted Economy are all at Remington Park and preparing for the race.
Owned by Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey of Nicholasville, Ky. and trained by Wesley Ward, Pleasant Prince will attempt to add to his resume’ which includes a win in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in July and an extremely close runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March. Pleasant Prince worked five furlongs handily in :59.67 seconds over a fast track here on Sept. 28 and is expected to have one more work early next week to get set for the 1-1/8 miles Oklahoma Derby.
Pleasant Prince was most recently third in the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Labor Day at Parx Racing in Philadelphia. He has won two of his 12 career starts with a pair of seconds and three thirds with total earnings of $317,398.
In addition to his efforts in winning the Ohio Derby and his near-miss by just a nose to Ice Box in the Florida Derby, Pleasant Prince also tested the Triple Crown waters. After running third in the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs in late April, Pleasant Prince, a Florida-bred colt by Indy King from the Pleasant Tap mare Archduchess, also ran 11th in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes in mid-May, a race won by Lookin At Lucky.
Professor Pollard, an Alberta-bred gelding who has made eight of his 10 career starts at Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, worked a sharp half-mile this morning at Remington Park in :47.56 handily. Owned by Sycamore Stables and trained by Jim Meyaard, Professor Pollard posted the fourth fastest time of 63 at a half mile during this morning’s work session.
Professor Pollard recently won the $50,000 Beaufort Stakes at Northlands Park on Sept. 18 by an impressive 10-3/4 lengths. He has won three of 10 starts overall with earnings of $65,528.
Another trained by Meyaard and based at Northlands Park is No Hesitation, winner of the Grade 3 Canadian Derby in August in Edmonton. A winner of six races from eight attempts, No Hesitation is stabled at Remington Park but has not put in an official local work yet for the Oklahoma Derby.
Distorted Economy, second in the recent Grade 2 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, is bedded down in the Remington Park Stakes Barn. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Distorted Economy had the lead late in the stretch in last month’s Super Derby before getting passed by eventual winner Apart. He has earned $176,340 in his 10-race career, despite only one win to his credit to go along with his three second-place efforts and two third-place runs.
Remington Park leading trainer Steve Asmussen is expected to enter Holiday Buzz for the Oklahoma Derby. The colt by 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex ran third in an allowance event here on Sept. 18, serving as his tune-up for derby.
The 22nd-running of the Oklahoma Derby is the main event on the season’s lone Sunday of racing. The undercard is also stellar with the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks and the $150,000 Remington Green Stakes leading the way. Also contested will be the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes and the $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes. The first race on Oklahoma Derby Day is at 1:30pm.
The weekend’s stakes races will begin on Friday, Oct. 8 at Remington Park with the first running of the $50,000 Kip Deville Stakes for 2-year-olds at six furlongs. The Kip Deville begins Remington Park’s 2-year-old stakes series that culminates with the $250,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 11.
Remington Park is Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino, 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.
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