FRANCISCO CALDERON, GONZALES FAMILY WIN LIP CHIP JOCKEY, TRAINERS OF WEEK at REMINGTON PARK
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – April 2, 2025 – Francisco Calderon was smoking hot in the saddle, increasing his lead in the jockeys’ standings this past week at Remington Park. Equally hot was the entire Gonzales family of trainers who were virtually untouchable as they won this past week’s Lip Chip Jockey and Trainers of the Week Award.
Calderon and Edwin Escobedo were ding-donging out front in the jockeys’ race until Escobedo injured his foot in a morning workout last week. They were taking turns in the top spot, but with the latter out, Calderon put his stamp of success on the race, winning seven races (March 27-30) to take an eight-victory lead over three jockeys in second place – Escobedo, Roman Cruz and Ali Rivera, who all have 10 wins.
“Edwin won’t ride this weekend,” said his wife Kaylee. “The specialist said he needs two weeks off before he gets back on a horse.”
That leaves Escobedo without any mounts this weekend for the upcoming trials Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5, to qualify for the estimated $800,000 Remington Park Futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses, Oklahoma-breds, at 330 yards.
Calderon won 7-of-20 starts this past week and ran second or third on six other mounts for 35 percent winners and 65 percent in-the-money horses. No other rider had more than three winners for the week. The closest jockeys, with at least nine mounts for the week in winning percentage were James Flores, Bryan Candanosa and Luis Maldonado. All three of them were at 22 percent (two-for-nine each).
The top five jockeys going into this week are Calderon (18 wins); Cruz, Escobedo and Rivera (tied for second at 10 each), and Juan Pulido in fifth with nine.
As far as trainers go, normally one trainer is given the award each week, but this week it goes to the Gonzales family because all three conditioning horses at Remington Park were winners at an incredible rate last week – James “JJ” Gonzales II and his sons James Gonzales III and Sebastian. It was a near perfect week of four racing days for them. James II won five-of-five starts, James III won three-of-six and had one second, and Sebastian went to the winner’s circle with the only horse he sent out.
Gonzales II won the feature race on Sunday, capping the week as last year’s $189,000 Remington Park Oaks winner, I Got Thiss, beat a strong stakes-caliber field in an allowance race. Cristian Esqueda was the winning rider for owner Bryton Dewald of Jamestown, N.D. She was bred in Oklahoma by Walter R. “Dick” Harrison.
James II won last Friday with Ten Bears in a claiming race and then had two wins each on Saturday and Sunday. His winners on the weekend were First Cartel Power and FDD Jess Speed on Saturday, both in maiden races. Gonzales’ winners on Sunday were I Got Thiss and FDD Coronado in a maiden event.
Gonzales III’s winners were Cyber de Capo and KJ Midnight Rider, breaking their maidens Friday and then Jessacorona Interest on Sunday, also winning for the first time. Sebastian’s winner was with Flying Chance taking down a maiden race on Saturday with Calderon in the saddle.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $376 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season, features the $800,000 (estimated) Remington Park Futurity on Saturday, April 19. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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🚨Attn Horsemen: The OQHRA Board of Directors Elections are coming up this Fall. Make sure you renew your OQHRA membership by September 1st in order to Vote ☑️!
Please help us congratulate Troy! He is such an important part of all of our success at Fair Meadows! Be sure to tell him Thank You when you see him! ... ’Expand’See Less
Congratulations Troy!!! Thank you for all you have done for all of us. A special thanks for a special longtime friendship that I truly treasure.😊
Troy is the absolute BEST!! Congratulations my friend!
Congratulations Troy !!
Congrats
He deserves it.
Troy’s Awesome, congratulations and thank you for always taking such care of us🏇🏻🏇🏻
Way to go Troy !!!!!
Looking good troy. I miss those days.
He is one of the best people you will ever meet in the race horse business
Congratulations Troy! One of the nicest people I ever had the privilege to work with.
Congratulations Troy. You always do a great job
My man Troy i can remember FMT in the beginning and Troy would always be the 1st one you saw either pulling in of a morning to work or at night to race, Troy always had the chaos organized in the haul in barn. Jim and Nina got the best one possible with Troy, one amazing man!
The Stephens family!
Jim,Barb and Kevin
Congratulations! Track would be lost with out you, you are awesome.
Congrats Troy!!!
You are the man, Troy
Congratulations
Congrats!!!
Never ran anything in OKLA., but CONGRATULATIONS TROY!!! Ppl like you are gold on ANY TRACK.
The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA) has confirmed the detection of Olodaterol through pre-entry hair testing protocols required for participation at Oklahoma racetracks. Olodaterol is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist, a class of bronchodilators that includes strictly prohibited substances such as clenbuterol, albuterol, and carmoterol.
Olodaterol is not an approved substance in racehorses, and its presence constitutes a violation of integrity standards. The positive findings were made as a condition of entry through OQHRA-managed hair testing, not by the regulatory body, and as such, horses testing positive were ruled ineligible for entry.
While reports of Olodaterol have surfaced in other states through hair samples, OQHRA is not currently aware of any confirmed positives in blood or urine samples. This reinforces the value of hair testing in identifying substances that may otherwise go undetected.
“This is a clear example of why hair testing matters,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “Whether used pre-entry to prevent horses from competing, or post-race for official adjudication, hair testing provides a longer detection window and a clearer picture of the medications and substances a horse has been exposed to.”
OQHRA will continue to support and expand the use of hair testing as part of its integrity and welfare program. In addition, the association will continue to advocate for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to adopt hair testing as a standard matrix within the state’s official biological testing program. This includes both post-race testing and out-of-competition testing.
“We strongly encourage the Commission to expand its use of hair testing,” said Bamberg. “It's a reliable, science-based tool that gives regulators the ability to detect long-term exposure to prohibited substances and strengthens our ability to ensure fairness and safety in the sport.”
OQHRA and our partner racetracks remain committed to identifying and deterring the use of new and emerging substances and protecting the integrity of racing in Oklahoma. ... ’Expand’See Less
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FRANCISCO CALDERON, GONZALES FAMILY WIN LIP CHIP JOCKEY, TRAINERS OF WEEK at REMINGTON PARK
by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – April 2, 2025 – Francisco Calderon was smoking hot in the saddle, increasing his lead in the jockeys’ standings this past week at Remington Park. Equally hot was the entire Gonzales family of trainers who were virtually untouchable as they won this past week’s Lip Chip Jockey and Trainers of the Week Award.
Calderon and Edwin Escobedo were ding-donging out front in the jockeys’ race until Escobedo injured his foot in a morning workout last week. They were taking turns in the top spot, but with the latter out, Calderon put his stamp of success on the race, winning seven races (March 27-30) to take an eight-victory lead over three jockeys in second place – Escobedo, Roman Cruz and Ali Rivera, who all have 10 wins.
“Edwin won’t ride this weekend,” said his wife Kaylee. “The specialist said he needs two weeks off before he gets back on a horse.”
That leaves Escobedo without any mounts this weekend for the upcoming trials Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5, to qualify for the estimated $800,000 Remington Park Futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses, Oklahoma-breds, at 330 yards.
Calderon won 7-of-20 starts this past week and ran second or third on six other mounts for 35 percent winners and 65 percent in-the-money horses. No other rider had more than three winners for the week. The closest jockeys, with at least nine mounts for the week in winning percentage were James Flores, Bryan Candanosa and Luis Maldonado. All three of them were at 22 percent (two-for-nine each).
The top five jockeys going into this week are Calderon (18 wins); Cruz, Escobedo and Rivera (tied for second at 10 each), and Juan Pulido in fifth with nine.
As far as trainers go, normally one trainer is given the award each week, but this week it goes to the Gonzales family because all three conditioning horses at Remington Park were winners at an incredible rate last week – James “JJ” Gonzales II and his sons James Gonzales III and Sebastian. It was a near perfect week of four racing days for them. James II won five-of-five starts, James III won three-of-six and had one second, and Sebastian went to the winner’s circle with the only horse he sent out.
Gonzales II won the feature race on Sunday, capping the week as last year’s $189,000 Remington Park Oaks winner, I Got Thiss, beat a strong stakes-caliber field in an allowance race. Cristian Esqueda was the winning rider for owner Bryton Dewald of Jamestown, N.D. She was bred in Oklahoma by Walter R. “Dick” Harrison.
James II won last Friday with Ten Bears in a claiming race and then had two wins each on Saturday and Sunday. His winners on the weekend were First Cartel Power and FDD Jess Speed on Saturday, both in maiden races. Gonzales’ winners on Sunday were I Got Thiss and FDD Coronado in a maiden event.
Gonzales III’s winners were Cyber de Capo and KJ Midnight Rider, breaking their maidens Friday and then Jessacorona Interest on Sunday, also winning for the first time. Sebastian’s winner was with Flying Chance taking down a maiden race on Saturday with Calderon in the saddle.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $376 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season, features the $800,000 (estimated) Remington Park Futurity on Saturday, April 19. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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🚨Attn Horsemen: The OQHRA Board of Directors Elections are coming up this Fall. Make sure you renew your OQHRA membership by September 1st in order to Vote ☑️!
Online OQHRA Membership form --> bit.ly/3E8BOFb ... ’Expand’See Less
2 hours ago
Comment on Facebook
Please help us congratulate Troy! He is such an important part of all of our success at Fair Meadows! Be sure to tell him Thank You when you see him! ... ’Expand’See Less
2 days ago
Comment on Facebook
Congratulations Troy!!! Thank you for all you have done for all of us. A special thanks for a special longtime friendship that I truly treasure.😊
Troy is the absolute BEST!! Congratulations my friend!
Congratulations Troy !!
Congrats
He deserves it.
Troy’s Awesome, congratulations and thank you for always taking such care of us🏇🏻🏇🏻
Way to go Troy !!!!!
Looking good troy. I miss those days.
He is one of the best people you will ever meet in the race horse business
Congratulations Troy! One of the nicest people I ever had the privilege to work with.
Congratulations Troy. You always do a great job
My man Troy i can remember FMT in the beginning and Troy would always be the 1st one you saw either pulling in of a morning to work or at night to race, Troy always had the chaos organized in the haul in barn. Jim and Nina got the best one possible with Troy, one amazing man! The Stephens family! Jim,Barb and Kevin
Congratulations! Track would be lost with out you, you are awesome.
Congrats Troy!!!
You are the man, Troy
Congratulations
Congrats!!!
Never ran anything in OKLA., but CONGRATULATIONS TROY!!! Ppl like you are gold on ANY TRACK.
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𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA) has confirmed the detection of Olodaterol through pre-entry hair testing protocols required for participation at Oklahoma racetracks. Olodaterol is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist, a class of bronchodilators that includes strictly prohibited substances such as clenbuterol, albuterol, and carmoterol.
Olodaterol is not an approved substance in racehorses, and its presence constitutes a violation of integrity standards. The positive findings were made as a condition of entry through OQHRA-managed hair testing, not by the regulatory body, and as such, horses testing positive were ruled ineligible for entry.
While reports of Olodaterol have surfaced in other states through hair samples, OQHRA is not currently aware of any confirmed positives in blood or urine samples. This reinforces the value of hair testing in identifying substances that may otherwise go undetected.
“This is a clear example of why hair testing matters,” said Krissy Bamberg, Executive Director of OQHRA. “Whether used pre-entry to prevent horses from competing, or post-race for official adjudication, hair testing provides a longer detection window and a clearer picture of the medications and substances a horse has been exposed to.”
OQHRA will continue to support and expand the use of hair testing as part of its integrity and welfare program. In addition, the association will continue to advocate for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to adopt hair testing as a standard matrix within the state’s official biological testing program. This includes both post-race testing and out-of-competition testing.
“We strongly encourage the Commission to expand its use of hair testing,” said Bamberg. “It's a reliable, science-based tool that gives regulators the ability to detect long-term exposure to prohibited substances and strengthens our ability to ensure fairness and safety in the sport.”
OQHRA and our partner racetracks remain committed to identifying and deterring the use of new and emerging substances and protecting the integrity of racing in Oklahoma. ... ’Expand’See Less
3 days ago
Comment on Facebook
Why don’t you just require hair testing in test barn of top 2 finishers. Wouldn’t that be a more accurate chance to catch abuse?
You don’t find it in blood and urine because hair testing is highly variable and substances can last for years after it’s been administered.
Felipe Martinez this what you Ben saying all along
The Louisiana Racing Commission STILL does not recognize the hair testing we owners have been paying for the last few years!
Guess you missed the news from LA??
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