For Immediate Release
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
CLIFF BERRY DOMINATES, WINNING 7 FRIDAY TO SET NEW REMINGTON PARK MARK
OKLAHOMA CITY – Jockey Cliff Berry won five races on Thursday night and managed to top himself on Friday night, winning all seven of his races. He set a new Remington Park standard for wins on one Thoroughbred program in the process.
The perfect race-riding night betters the old mark of six wins on a card that Berry shared with Tim Doocy. Berry had won six races on a single program three other times. Doocy was the first jockey to achieve six wins on one card in 1993.
Orphan Brigade in race 10 gave Berry the record with his seventh win. The 9-year-old veteran had won 23 career races coming into the $7,500 claiming event at six furlongs, earning $756,345 in his career. Berry felt his final mount of the evening could give him his seventh win if he was ready to roll.
“I knew he was the best horse in the race. He’s won over $750,000 by doing something right for a long time. The only question was whether he would break well and if he was feeling the part tonight. I knew he could do it.”
Orphan Brigade is owned by Carl Moore Management of Kennedale, Texas and trained by Bret Calhoun.
Berry wasn’t expecting seven on Friday. He would have been happy to match his Thursday effort and add a second consecutive five-win night after piling up wins early in the program.
“I thought after I won the fourth time (w/Crossfirehurricane in race 6) that I had a pretty good chance to win five races for the second night in a row. Especially with three more mounts to go,” Berry said. “The horses just kept running for me. I didn’t do anything different tonight than I do any other night, it just kept happening.”
The seven wins for Berry came aboard Sunset Rider ($6 to win) in race two, Fleet Shopper ($13.40) in race three, Chasin Gypsy ($8.60) in race five, Crossfirehurricane ($5.80) in race six, Dixie Hearth ($5.40) in race eight, Going Okie ($11.60) in race nine and then Orphan Brigade ($6.20) in the 10th.
The flurry of 12 wins the past two nights have catapulted Berry clear of all rivals in the jockey standings, giving him 73 wins and clinching his 13th Remington Park riding title.
“Everything just fell into place tonight, I’m very happy,” Berry noted. “I’ll come back tomorrow night and try to do it again.”
Berry will be honored on Saturday after the first race with his 13th Pat Steinberg Memorial Award, signifying the riding champion during the Thoroughbred Season. It is his first title here since 2007.
The leading jockey award is named after Pat Steinberg who passed away after the 1993 Spring Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park. He was the all-time riding leader in Oklahoma City at the time of his passing.
Saturday night is the final evening of racing for the 2010 Thoroughbred Season. The 11-race card will start at 5:30pm. The $250,000 Springboard Mile, the top 2-year-old race of the season, is the main event on Saturday.
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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Photo Credit: Dustin Orona Photography
