For Immediate Release
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011
Ted’s Folly wins 6th straight-rolls from last in Springboard Mile
OKLAHOMA CITY – The only Oklahoma-bred in the field of a dozen 2-year-olds to test Saturday’s $315,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, Ted’s Folly defied the odds and expectations of many to pull an upset while winning his sixth consecutive race of the season. The huge victory in open company came in the season finale as the Remington Park 2011 Thoroughbred Season came to a close.
Owned by Steve Martin of Morrison, Okla. and trained by Wilson Brown, Ted’s Folly was ridden as he has been in all his wins by Jose Medina. Ted’s Folly adds the richest 2-year-old race of the season to his previous stakes triumphs against Oklahoma-breds in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile in October and the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes in November.
Ted’s
Folly settled in at the back of the field immediately in his
first attempt going more than six furlongs and around two turns.
He was last as the group made their way up the backstretch but
began moving toward the front with just under a half-mile to go.
A prominent closer, Ted’s Folly had pace to run after as a
three-way battle for the lead ensued from the start and
continued until the start of the far turn as Seeker, Pee H Dee
and Flashy Kid all wanted the lead. The opening quarter-mile
went in :23.54 seconds with the half-mile in :47.43 seconds and
six furlongs in 1:13.01.
Leaving the turn with a quarter-mile to go, the original pace battle had dissolved and then evolved into a wall of five runners entering the top of the stretch on even terms. From the rail out Pee H Dee, Seeker, Reckless Jerry, Basalt and No Spin were all in position to triumph. As they neared the furlong pole Ted’s Folly had full momentum rolling wide off the turn and went by the quintet to take command with yards to go before winning by 1-1/4 lengths.
The
ways of Ted’s Folly continue to amaze many, even his trainer.
“Every time he runs, he’s fooled me,” Brown said in the winner’s
circle. “He doesn’t look the part when you see him up against
these big colts and only weighs about 900-pounds. But there’s
none of them that have any more heart and none of them tonight
had as much talent as he’s got.”
Pee H Dee emerged from the wall of five runners to take the lead in the stretch but could not out-duel Reckless Jerry who edged him by a head for second once Ted’s Folly had imposed his will, handling the mile in 1:38.9 over the fast track.
At 6-1 odds, Ted’s Folly paid $15.40 to win, $7.20 to place and $4.60 to show. Reckless Jerry returned $14.20 to place and $6.40 to show. Pee H Dee held third and paid $15.20 to show.
The Winchell Thoroughbreds owned-entry of Seeker and Basalt, both trained by Steve Asmussen, were made the 4-5 wagering favorites of the fans. Basalt faded to sixth while Seeker dropped back to ninth.
Ted’s Folly was the lone gelding in the field and is by Wild Tale from the Sword Dance (Ire) mare Tricksword and was bred in Oklahoma by Harmony Stable. He has won all six of his career races this season at Remington Park for a perfect record in Oklahoma City. Prior to this season, Ted’s Folly had a pair of off the board finishes at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.
The Springboard Mile winner’s check of $195,000 jumps the overall bankroll for Ted’s Folly to $336,979.
Photo Credits: Dustin Orona Photography
JIM THORPE STAKES
A
pair of Oklahoma-bred stakes races for 3-year-olds were on the
undercard on the final night with the very consistent Evansville
Storm slipping through at the rail to score his first stakes win
with a courageous victory in the inaugural $50,000 Jim Thorpe
Stakes at Remington Park. The race named in honor of the man
known widely as the “World’s Greatest Athlete” of the early 20th
century.
With three previous third-place finishes in as many stakes races, the 3-year-old gelded son of Evansville Slew easily gained and maintained position at the rail from post position two. The rail remained open throughout the race for jockey Nena Matz, despite a tight squeeze for horse and rider inside the final furlong. Evansville Storm was up to win by three-quarters of a length over Brown Okie who rallied wide down the middle of the stretch. Kipsandy was another three-quarters of a length back in third.
Trainer Mike Teel trains the gelding for owners Sassy S Stables, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Steven Schooley of Broken Arrow, Okla. Evansville Storm covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.17 and paid $19.60 to win, $8.00 to place and $3.60 to show. Brown Okie rallied from far back to finish second and pay $9.40 to place and $4.40 to show. Kipsandy also closed from the back to pay $3.40 to show.
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$50,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes Saturday, December 10, 2011 Remington Park
#2 Evansville Storm Owner: Sassy S Stables, Inc. Trainer: Mike Teel Jockey: Nena Matz
Photo Credits: Dustin Orona Photography
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Evansville Storm is by Evansville Slew from the Stormy Atlantic mare Sophia Storm, bred in Oklahoma by his owners. The gelding won his third career race from eight starts and his second score at Remington Park, both this season. The Jim Thorpe meant another $30,000 to Evansville Storm who has now made $98,182 overall.
USEEIT STAKES
A
dozen Oklahoma-bred 3-year-old fillies competed in the $50,000
Useeit Stakes prior to the Jim Thorpe and the Springboard. The
2011 Remington Park season for Lesley Be Judged went from good
to great in less than a minute and a half, when the
three-year-old by Devil His Due from the Rubiano mare Nemisia
inched clear to win the inaugural running of the Useeit. The
race was added to the local stakes schedule this season, named
after the dam of 1924 Kentucky Derby winner Black Gold who was
Oklahoma-owned and bred.
The winning favorite at 9-5 odds, Lesley Be Judged went into the race having previously recorded a win, two seconds and two thirds this meet in Oklahoma City. Despite her bad habit of drifting in the stretch, jockey Bryan McNeil kept her straight and focused once they made the lead at the top of the stretch, to win by 2 ¼ lengths and cover the seven furlongs in 1:23.88 over a fast track.
Trainer J.R. Caldwell enjoyed a good season, with a total of 20 Remington Park wins. Lesley Be Judged is owned by Ron Allen of Wichita Falls, Texas and paid $5.60 to win, $3.00 to place and $2.40 to show. Winner To Be rallied from well back to finish second and pay $2.80 to place and also $2.80 to show. Thisladyisadiamond ran third and paid 5.40 to show.
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$50,000 Useeit Stakes Saturday, December 10, 2011 Remington Park
#9 Lesley Be Judged Owner: Ron Allen Trainer: J.R. Caldwell Jockey: Bryan McNeil
Photo Credits: Dustin Orona Photography
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Pat Steinberg Award
Jockey Cliff Berry secured his 14th Pat Steinberg Award on Saturday night, winning one race to put his season total at 68 victories. The Steinberg Award denotes the leading rider for the Thoroughbred Season and is named after the late rider who dominated the early years of Remington Park racing before his passing in 1993.
Berry, a Jones, Okla. resident, has won two consecutive Steinberg Awards. He finished three wins ahead of Luis Quinonez who came into the final night of racing with an opportunity to win his second Steinberg. Lindey Wade, a newcomer to the Oklahoma City riding colony, enjoyed a fine season with 46 wins for third place.
Chuck Taliaferro Award
Trainer Steve Asmussen was shutout from the winner’s circle on Saturday night but had clinched his eighth Remington Park training title before the night had started with an even 50 winners, 17 ahead of runner-up Chris Hartman.
Asmussen, from Arlington, Texas, has now won five consecutive training titles at Remington Park dating to the 2007 season. He won his very first seasonal training title at Remington Park in 1991. Asmussen’s career has flourished since, becoming a national operation with horses competing simultaneously at many tracks across North America. He posted his 6,000th career win earlier this meeting when Basalt, sixth in the Springboard Mile, won in November.
Trainer Roger Engel was third in the standings with 26 wins.
The Taliaferro Award is named after the late trainer who passed in 1994 after a long career at tracks across the country, including a young Remington Park in his home state.
Ran Ricks Award
The leading owner title, the Ran Ricks, Jr. Award, is shared for the third consecutive Thoroughbred Season as Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. and Black Hawk Stable of Elk City, Okla. each finished the season with 18 wins.
Caldwell won his third owning title while Black Hawk Stable won for the first time. The Ricks Award is named after the late owner and breeder who passed in 1996 after years of working to bring pari-mutuel racing to Oklahoma. Ricks won a total of seven owner championships at his home track of Remington Park.
Caldwell is the last owner to claim the Ricks Award alone, doing so in 2008 when he won for the first time.
Live racing is now on hiatus at Remington Park until the beginning of the 2012 American Quarter Horse & Mixed-breed Season on March 2.
Open daily at 10am for casino gaming and simulcast racing, Remington Park also features the Bricktown Brewery on the casino floor, open daily at 11am. Admission, general parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park.
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.
For more information, contact:
Dale Day
405-425-3215, 405-326-7496 (m)