For Immediate Release
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
SMILES AHEAD ROLLS TO ANOTHER STAKES TRIUMPH, ZIMMERMAN RIDES 5 WINNERS
OKLAHOMA CITY – The return of the Oklahoma Stallions Stakes series for 2-year-olds headlined Saturday’s card at Remington Park. Smiles Ahead was dominant in winning by 4-3/4 lengths, adding another stakes victory to his successful season.
In the filly division of the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, Miss Kipling won her second straight stakes event of the season, prevailing by a hard-fought head. Both Smiles Ahead and Miss Kipling were victorious in last month’s Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and Lassie respectively.
The Oklahoma Stallion Stakes returned to the Remington Park schedule this year for the first time since 1992.
$57,500 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes
Owned, trained and bred in Oklahoma by Wilson Brown of Jones, Okla., Smiles Ahead was the best by far Saturday, easily moving to the lead in the six-furlong race as the field of 10 left the lone turn. Under jockey Ken Shino, Smiles Ahead cruised to the front in the stretch and opened up a wide lead before throttling down to gallop out the final yards in winning by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:11.40 over the fast track.
Owned, trained and bred in Oklahoma by Wilson Brown of Jones, Okla., Smiles Ahead was the best by far Saturday, easily moving to the lead in the six-furlong race as the field of 10 left the lone turn. Under jockey Ken Shino, Smiles Ahead cruised to the front in the stretch and opened up a wide lead before throttling down to gallop out the final yards in winning by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:11.40 over the fast track.
“Everything just worked out perfectly,” Shino said. “I sat back as long as I could. I just let them go early and then they stopped on the front end.”
Highway Fiftyfour and Dr Swift battled for the lead until mid-turn when Smiles Ahead made his winning move around the pair. The early leaders faded to seventh and eighth respectively.
Brown Okie rallied from next to last early in the race to reach second. Evansville Storm, last from the start due to a slow beginning, closed to make third-place at 117-1 odds, 5-3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Hoss Dancer was fourth.
The heavy 1-5 wagering favorite, Smiles Ahead paid $2.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Brown Okie paid $6 to place and $4.40 to show. Evansville Storm returned $12.20 to show.
The superfecta (Nos. 6-5-7-4) returned $6,124.60.
The win was the fourth from seven attempts for Smiles Ahead and his second at Remington Park. An Oklahoma-bred gelding by Burbank from the Coordinator mare Tellyualittlestory, he earned $34,500 for the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes score to move his overall bankroll to $163,725.
$57,500 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes-Filly Division
Miss Kipling had to work harder in her division to gain her second consecutive stakes victory of the season. After moving to the lead with a furlong to go, jockey Cliff Berry had to ask Miss Kipling for everything she had to hold on to score by a head over Gotagogotagogotago.
Miss Kipling rallied wide around a three-way battle for the lead between Wild Distinction, Barbrawl and Clear Indicator, making her move with a quarter-mile left in the race.
“I let her settle back and went around the front three,” Berry noted. “She laid it down in the straightaway.”
Owned by the Oklahoma City partnership of Young Stables and K. and J. Hall, Miss Kipling is trained by Bret Calhoun. She crossed the finish in the six-furlong event in 1:12.94.
Wild Distinction held on for third, two lengths behind the top two. Rare Presence was along for fourth, another two lengths back.
At 1-5 in the wagering, Miss Kipling paid $2.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Gotagogotagogotago paid $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. Wild Distinction paid $2.80 to show.
The win was the third from four starts for Miss Kipling and her second at Remington Park. The winner’s check of $34,500 moved her career earnings to $96,201. She is a daughter of Kipling from the Clever Trick mare Our Liebling, bred in Oklahoma by Harmony Stable.
Jockey Ramsey Zimmerman shared the spotlight with the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes winners, riding five winners on the evening. He is the first jockey to achieve the feat this season and the first to win five on the same Remington Park card since Eddie Martin, Jr. turned the trick on Oct. 4, 2008.
Zimmerman won the opening daily double with Star Power ($14 to win) in the first race and Imoktodrive ($8.60) in the second race. His winning continued with Bold Minardi ($10.60) in the fifth race, Machorina ($8.60) in the seventh and then Kela’s Assault ($9.40) in the 10th and final race.
After the five wins, Zimmerman now has 42 for the season, moving into a second-place tie in the standings with Aaron Gryder. Berry leads the way with 48 wins.
Trainer Chris Hartman saddled three of the winners ridden by Zimmerman to gain his own triple on the night. Representing the Hartman barn were Imoktodrive Bold Minardi and Kela’s Assault.
Hartman has 23 wins for the season and is third in the standings behind Steve Asmussen (36 wins) and Bret Calhoun (27).
The 2010 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season continues Wednesday thru Saturday, Nov. 17-20 with the races underway nightly at 6:30pm.
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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