JOCKEY CODY SMITH ON A ROLL, WINNING THREE TIMES IN CONSECUTIVE RACES, MOVES INTO FIRST PLACE IN RIDER STANDINGS

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – March 14, 2022 – Jockey Cody Smith was tied for sixth in the rider standings at Remington Park going into Sunday’s race card. After turning on the afterburners, Smith won three consecutive races in the middle of the card and moved into first place with a huge jump.

When Smith won the sixth, seventh and eighth races aboard Beatem Blue, Ynot Tonight and Louis Litt, respectively, he had passed everyone ahead of him and sat alone at the top with seven wins for the meet.

Last year’s leading rider Juan Pulido had the lead with six wins going into Sunday, but had no mounts on the card. Smith took advantage winning for the first time in race six with Beatem Blue ($13.40 to win) in a starter optional claiming race for Quarter Horses, 3-years-old and older that had run for a claiming price of $5,000 or less in 2021-22. This 4-year-old gelded son of Im A Fancy PYC is trained by Ty Blackwell and owned by Robin Haggard of Gans, Okla. He was bred in Oklahoma by Laman Whitmire.

Beatem Blue broke second from the rail and soon was engaged with runner-up Ima Secret Daisy in a battle that went from gate to wire. Smith was able to get the nod by a head at the finish line. He covered the 440 yards in :23.027 over the fast. Ima Secret Daisy hit the wire in :23.039. The winner’s record improved to 15 starts, three wins and two seconds for $25,290.

Smith followed that up with a victory in the seventh with Ynot Tonight, a 3-year-old filly, who had shipped in from Los Alamitos in California. Trainer Mike Robbins sent her out for her first race since Oct. 10, 2021, when she was soundly defeated in a futurity trial. Prior to that, she had nearly broken her maiden at Los Al, finishing third, beaten only three-quarters of a length. This daughter of Favorite Cartel, out of the Chicks Beduino mare Ynot Bar, got the job done Sunday, easily winning the maiden race by 1-1/2 lengths, getting some value for her fans in the process at 8-1 odds. She paid $19 to win, $5 to place and $4.40 to show.

The winning filly is owned by Reliance Ranches (Micah McKinney) of Guthrie, Okla.. She was bred in California by Steve D. Burns, DVM. Her record improved to five starts, one win and one third for $11,764 in her bankroll.

Smith’s third trip to the winner’s circle came in the ninth with a first-time starter, Louis Litt. This 2-year-old gelded son of The Fiscal Cliff, out of the On a High mare High On Friday, broke like a jet-fueled rocket from the gate under Smith and had a full length lead after just a few steps. Going to the wire, however, that lead evaporated but he was still able to hang on with a game finish. He won by a head over a fast-closing Mitey Like a Rose, the 2-1 post-time favorite. Louis Litt went off 4-1 and returned $10.40, $4.80 and $3.20 to his backers. He is trained by Bill Goodnight and owned by Shelley Goodnight of Park Hill, Okla. Louis Litt earned $13,034 for the win.

Smith was responsible for all three victories in the 50-cent Pick 3 from races 6-8 that paid $126.75 on that half-dollar wager.

The top five jockeys in the standings after seven days of racing are now: 1) Cody Smith, seven wins; 2) tie, Juan Pulido, Jesus Salazar and Francisco Calderon, six wins each, and 5) tie, Justine Klaiber, Jorge Torres, James Flores, five each.

A special schedule is set next week for live racing as there will be five days as opposed to the usual four. Remington Park picks up an extra day of racing on Wednesday to make up for a snow day from this past week. The schedule next week will be Wednesday-Saturday with first post time of 6 p.m. nightly and then 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Saturday, March 19 is Oklahoma Futurity Night, featuring the 81^st running of the oldest futurity in American Quarter Horse racing. That night will include a total of eight stakes events with purses for the evening exceeding $1.1 million.
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Tracked by more than 168,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $286 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 is the home of the historic Oklahoma Futurity on March 19. Simulcast horse racing featured daily, the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.