RAMIREZ AND KEENER HONORED AS LIP CHIP JOCKEY AND TRAINER OF THE WEEK AT REMINGTON PARK
Oklahoma City, OK – March 13, 2024 – The first Remington Park Jockey & Trainer of the Week, presented by Lip Chip, to start the 2024 Spring Season are Ricky Ramirez and Dee Keener.
Ramirez posted four victories from 13 mounts over the first four race dates of the season, taking the top spot in the jockey standings. He also rode four mounts to third place finishes, for an in-the-money mark of 62%.
Ramirez rode Fire Eat N Cowboy, the top qualifier for the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby, winning his 350-yard trial on Sunday, March 10 in :17.620.
Ramirez has one leading rider title at Remington Park, scoring the award in 2017. He was the American Quarter Horse Association Champion Jockey in 2015.
Dee Keener won his first Remington Park title in 2023 and has made a quick start toward contending for a repeat this season. He has five winners, five second-place finishers and another one in third for a 58% rate of putting runners in-the-money over 30 starters.
Keener promptly qualified half the field for the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity on March 7, when five of his athletes made the final to be run on March 23. He will send top qualifier OG Nikki Sixx, RF Livies Livewire, Toll Road, WF Apolitical Bullet and Vesper Martini to the $210,200 final.
Keener also qualified two runners, one during each night of trials, for the historic Oklahoma Futurity, the headline event on March 23. His charges in the Grade 2, $502,385 final are Finn McOol (qualified March 8) and Billie Blues Girl (qualified March 9).
REMINGTON PARK’S ORIGINAL TRACK ANNOUNCER, JIM BYERS, WILL CALL RACES THIS WEEK AS DALE DAY COMPETES IN NATIONAL HANDICAPPING CHAMPIONSHIP
Jim Byers, Remington Park’s original track announcer in 1988, will step in to fill the shoes of regular race caller Dale Day this week.
Day will be trying to repeat his Top 10 effort in the 25th National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, presented by Caesars Entertainment. When he qualified for the top handicapping contest in the country two years ago, Day finished 10th in the nation and pocketed a sweet $50,000 for his efforts.
The competition at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas begins Friday and runs through Sunday, so Byers will fill in for live racing at Remington Park Thursday-Sunday this week. Post time is 6 p.m. nightly with the exception of 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Byers currently is the regular announcer for Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, all breeds, and has been there since 2016. He has previously called races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., as well. In his first run at Remington Park, Byers called races from 1988-99. Prior to that he was the track announcer at the now closed Hollywood Park from 1984-87. His talents in sports does not end at horse racing. Byers has been a play-by-play announcer for hockey and baseball and spent some time on the ice as a linesman.
POSTPONED OPENING WEEKEND STAKES RESCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY – SLM BIG DADDY STAKES, MIGHTY DECK THREE STAKES
The two opening weekend stakes – the SLM Big Daddy Stakes and Mighty Deck Three Stakes – have been rescheduled for Saturday, March 16. The two stakes were postponed this past Sunday due to power issues in TV control. When the problem couldn’t promptly be fixed, the final two races on the card were canceled.
They will now be run as part of a 12-race card, that features four stakes races total, on Saturday night that starts at 6 p.m. The $68,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes will go as the 11th race on the card at approximately 10:30 p.m. and the SLM Big Daddy Stakes will follow as the 12th race around 10:57 p.m. The Mighty Deck Three has a field of nine competing and there will be a full field of 10 for the SLM Big Daddy. O Donovan Rossa, the winner of the SLM Big Daddy in 2022 was the 5-2 morning line favorite for the original drawing and has been re-entered in the rescheduled race.
Rgs Gold Wagon was the 5-2 morning line favorite when the Mighty Deck Three was originally drawn and will also compete in the redrawn race.
•••••
Remington Park has provided more than $344 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 simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
𝑶𝑲𝑳𝑨𝑯𝑶𝑴𝑨 𝑪𝑰𝑻𝒀, 𝑶𝑲 – 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 wasn’t expected to win his 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 on Thursday at Remington Park; he was a longshot at 15-1 odds. He certainly was the surprise of the night when he was the 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆, cementing a spot in the finals of this 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝟏 $𝟏,𝟏𝟔𝟏,𝟎𝟏𝟎 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟏.
The Heritage Place Futurity is the cornerstone 350-yard race for 2-year-old American Quarter Horses, and is one of the most heralded futurities in the country annually. The fastest five horses from 13 trials on Thursday and the five fastest of 13 more trials on Friday will make up the field of 10 finalists for the million-dollar race.
In the fifth trial Thursday, Calling Chicks, a beautiful gray gelding by Eyesa Cashing Teller, out of the Fly Jess Fly mare Call Me Paratus, broke on top early under 𝐣𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐳 and never was headed. He looked more like 1-5 than 15-1 as he opened up to a three-quarters length victory in his heat. When he hit the line in :17.438 seconds, earning, a 95 speed-index on the fast track. It turned out to be the fastest time of the night, despite there being eight more trials to run. It was run with a slight tailwind behind him, virtually the same speed for every race Thursday night, between 5-8 mph.
No one could have expected this from a horse that had run fourth and fifth in his first two starts. The key, however, was that his first two tries came against futurity trial company, not maidens. In his first start for 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐲, Calling Chicks raced on a sloppy track in the Oklahoma Futurity trials and finished 1-1/4 lengths behind the eventual winner of the Remington Park Futurity – Flying Joy 1. The next time out, Calling Chicks faced Remington Park Futurity trial horses and could do no better than fifth, beaten 1-1/2 lengths. His speed index that night over a muddy track (90) was certainly good enough to win a trial for the Heritage Place and that’s just what he did on Thursday as the fastest qualifier. It was also the first time Calling Chicks had raced over a fast track. Possibly another determining factor as well.
Calling Chicks, 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐫. 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡, broke his maiden in this trial and put a smile on the face of 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐇 𝐄 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚) 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚. He paid $32.60 to win, $10.60 to place and $3.80 to show across the board. Cruz, last year’s top rider at Remington Park for the first time, had ridden Calling Chicks in his first race, was off in the second start and then got back on him Thursday for one more chance. It paid off. It’s amazing that a horse that has earned only $9,649 in three starts, has a shot at winning a large portion of a million-dollar purse in three weeks, but that is the case. If that isn’t enough to make a great story, it must also be pointed out that the owner bought Calling Chicks for $8,000 from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in 2024.
Other than Calling Chicks, the fastest of the five qualifiers from Thursday night were (with jockey, trainer, trial number, times and speed index): • DR Americas Dynasty, Juan Pulido, Marco Chavez-Gutierrez, trial four, :17.481, 94 • Hawkeye Vision, Joseph Belloc, Jr., James J. Gonzales III, trial four, :17.507, 93 • Jess Flash the Cash, Ramiro Garcia, Jason Olmstead, trial five, :17.548, 92 • Effortless Favorite, Francisco Ramirez, Jr., Jason Olmstead, trial nine, :17.561, 91
It was a great night of training for conditioners Marco Chavez-Gutierrez and Jason Olmstead. Chavez-Gutierrez might trade his night with Olmstead’s, even though the former won two more races than latter. Any other night, a training quadruple would have been an incredible evening of racing, but none of Chavez-Gutierrez’s four winners qualified for the finals of the Heritage Place Futurity.
Olmstead’s two winners did qualify. One of Chavez-Gutierrez’s winners, Apollirevenge, was the last eliminated from the bubble on the night. He lasted until Effortless Favorite won the ninth trial in a slightly faster time. Apollirevenge covered his 350 yards in :17.595 in the third trial, just three-hundredths of a second slower than the last finalist.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $377 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 $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity on May 31, the final night of this meet. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Photo: Calling Chicks (1) wins the fifth trial of the evening on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Remington Park to post the top 350-yard qualifying time on the first night of trials for the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity. The final will be held on May 31. 📸: Dustin Orona Photography... ’Expand’See Less
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RAMIREZ AND KEENER HONORED AS LIP CHIP JOCKEY AND TRAINER OF THE WEEK AT REMINGTON PARK
Oklahoma City, OK – March 13, 2024 – The first Remington Park Jockey & Trainer of the Week, presented by Lip Chip, to start the 2024 Spring Season are Ricky Ramirez and Dee Keener.
Ramirez posted four victories from 13 mounts over the first four race dates of the season, taking the top spot in the jockey standings. He also rode four mounts to third place finishes, for an in-the-money mark of 62%.
Ramirez rode Fire Eat N Cowboy, the top qualifier for the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby, winning his 350-yard trial on Sunday, March 10 in :17.620.
Ramirez has one leading rider title at Remington Park, scoring the award in 2017. He was the American Quarter Horse Association Champion Jockey in 2015.
Dee Keener won his first Remington Park title in 2023 and has made a quick start toward contending for a repeat this season. He has five winners, five second-place finishers and another one in third for a 58% rate of putting runners in-the-money over 30 starters.
Keener promptly qualified half the field for the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity on March 7, when five of his athletes made the final to be run on March 23. He will send top qualifier OG Nikki Sixx, RF Livies Livewire, Toll Road, WF Apolitical Bullet and Vesper Martini to the $210,200 final.
Keener also qualified two runners, one during each night of trials, for the historic Oklahoma Futurity, the headline event on March 23. His charges in the Grade 2, $502,385 final are Finn McOol (qualified March 8) and Billie Blues Girl (qualified March 9).
REMINGTON PARK’S ORIGINAL TRACK ANNOUNCER, JIM BYERS, WILL CALL RACES THIS WEEK AS DALE DAY COMPETES IN NATIONAL HANDICAPPING CHAMPIONSHIP
Jim Byers, Remington Park’s original track announcer in 1988, will step in to fill the shoes of regular race caller Dale Day this week.
Day will be trying to repeat his Top 10 effort in the 25th National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, presented by Caesars Entertainment. When he qualified for the top handicapping contest in the country two years ago, Day finished 10th in the nation and pocketed a sweet $50,000 for his efforts.
The competition at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas begins Friday and runs through Sunday, so Byers will fill in for live racing at Remington Park Thursday-Sunday this week. Post time is 6 p.m. nightly with the exception of 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Byers currently is the regular announcer for Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, all breeds, and has been there since 2016. He has previously called races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., as well. In his first run at Remington Park, Byers called races from 1988-99. Prior to that he was the track announcer at the now closed Hollywood Park from 1984-87. His talents in sports does not end at horse racing. Byers has been a play-by-play announcer for hockey and baseball and spent some time on the ice as a linesman.
POSTPONED OPENING WEEKEND STAKES RESCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY – SLM BIG DADDY STAKES, MIGHTY DECK THREE STAKES
The two opening weekend stakes – the SLM Big Daddy Stakes and Mighty Deck Three Stakes – have been rescheduled for Saturday, March 16. The two stakes were postponed this past Sunday due to power issues in TV control. When the problem couldn’t promptly be fixed, the final two races on the card were canceled.
They will now be run as part of a 12-race card, that features four stakes races total, on Saturday night that starts at 6 p.m. The $68,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes will go as the 11th race on the card at approximately 10:30 p.m. and the SLM Big Daddy Stakes will follow as the 12th race around 10:57 p.m. The Mighty Deck Three has a field of nine competing and there will be a full field of 10 for the SLM Big Daddy. O Donovan Rossa, the winner of the SLM Big Daddy in 2022 was the 5-2 morning line favorite for the original drawing and has been re-entered in the rescheduled race.
Rgs Gold Wagon was the 5-2 morning line favorite when the Mighty Deck Three was originally drawn and will also compete in the redrawn race.
•••••
Remington Park has provided more than $344 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 simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. 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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𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐑, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐃
By Richard Linihan
𝑶𝑲𝑳𝑨𝑯𝑶𝑴𝑨 𝑪𝑰𝑻𝒀, 𝑶𝑲 – 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 wasn’t expected to win his 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 on Thursday at Remington Park; he was a longshot at 15-1 odds. He certainly was the surprise of the night when he was the 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆, cementing a spot in the finals of this 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝟏 $𝟏,𝟏𝟔𝟏,𝟎𝟏𝟎 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟏.
The Heritage Place Futurity is the cornerstone 350-yard race for 2-year-old American Quarter Horses, and is one of the most heralded futurities in the country annually. The fastest five horses from 13 trials on Thursday and the five fastest of 13 more trials on Friday will make up the field of 10 finalists for the million-dollar race.
In the fifth trial Thursday, Calling Chicks, a beautiful gray gelding by Eyesa Cashing Teller, out of the Fly Jess Fly mare Call Me Paratus, broke on top early under 𝐣𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐳 and never was headed. He looked more like 1-5 than 15-1 as he opened up to a three-quarters length victory in his heat. When he hit the line in :17.438 seconds, earning, a 95 speed-index on the fast track. It turned out to be the fastest time of the night, despite there being eight more trials to run. It was run with a slight tailwind behind him, virtually the same speed for every race Thursday night, between 5-8 mph.
No one could have expected this from a horse that had run fourth and fifth in his first two starts. The key, however, was that his first two tries came against futurity trial company, not maidens. In his first start for 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐲, Calling Chicks raced on a sloppy track in the Oklahoma Futurity trials and finished 1-1/4 lengths behind the eventual winner of the Remington Park Futurity – Flying Joy 1. The next time out, Calling Chicks faced Remington Park Futurity trial horses and could do no better than fifth, beaten 1-1/2 lengths. His speed index that night over a muddy track (90) was certainly good enough to win a trial for the Heritage Place and that’s just what he did on Thursday as the fastest qualifier. It was also the first time Calling Chicks had raced over a fast track. Possibly another determining factor as well.
Calling Chicks, 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐫. 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡, broke his maiden in this trial and put a smile on the face of 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐇 𝐄 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚) 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚. He paid $32.60 to win, $10.60 to place and $3.80 to show across the board. Cruz, last year’s top rider at Remington Park for the first time, had ridden Calling Chicks in his first race, was off in the second start and then got back on him Thursday for one more chance. It paid off. It’s amazing that a horse that has earned only $9,649 in three starts, has a shot at winning a large portion of a million-dollar purse in three weeks, but that is the case. If that isn’t enough to make a great story, it must also be pointed out that the owner bought Calling Chicks for $8,000 from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in 2024.
Other than Calling Chicks, the fastest of the five qualifiers from Thursday night were (with jockey, trainer, trial number, times and speed index):
• DR Americas Dynasty, Juan Pulido, Marco Chavez-Gutierrez, trial four, :17.481, 94
• Hawkeye Vision, Joseph Belloc, Jr., James J. Gonzales III,
trial four, :17.507, 93
• Jess Flash the Cash, Ramiro Garcia, Jason Olmstead,
trial five, :17.548, 92
• Effortless Favorite, Francisco Ramirez, Jr., Jason Olmstead,
trial nine, :17.561, 91
It was a great night of training for conditioners Marco Chavez-Gutierrez and Jason Olmstead. Chavez-Gutierrez might trade his night with Olmstead’s, even though the former won two more races than latter. Any other night, a training quadruple would have been an incredible evening of racing, but none of Chavez-Gutierrez’s four winners qualified for the finals of the Heritage Place Futurity.
Olmstead’s two winners did qualify. One of Chavez-Gutierrez’s winners, Apollirevenge, was the last eliminated from the bubble on the night. He lasted until Effortless Favorite won the ninth trial in a slightly faster time. Apollirevenge covered his 350 yards in :17.595 in the third trial, just three-hundredths of a second slower than the last finalist.
••••
Remington Park has provided more than $377 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 $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity on May 31, the final night of this meet. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Photo: Calling Chicks (1) wins the fifth trial of the evening on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Remington Park to post the top 350-yard qualifying time on the first night of trials for the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity. The final will be held on May 31. 📸: Dustin Orona Photography ... ’Expand’See Less
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