Ocelot wins 3rd turf route race of Remington Park season
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ocelot won his third consecutive route race on the grass at Remington Park on Saturday night, beating a starter allowance field of horses that had started for a $30,000 claiming tag in the past two years.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ocelot won his third consecutive route race on the grass at Remington Park on Saturday night, beating a starter allowance field of horses that had started for a $30,000 claiming tag in the past two years.
The 5-year-old gelding by Big Blue Kitten, out of the More Than Ready mare More Miss Crissy, won at one mile on Saturday after winning at 1-1/16 miles greensward on Oct. 6 and Sept. 22. In between those wins, he has run third and second at five furlongs on the lawn.
“Imagine how good he could be if I quit entering him at five furlongs,” trainer Karl Broberg said.
Jockey Gerardo Mora has been aboard Ocelot in all three trips to the winner’s circle this meet. The turf monster earned $18,600 for Remington Park’s leading owner End Zone Athletics (Broberg) of Mansfield, Texas, from the $31,000 purse. Ocelot improved to 31 starts, seven wins, five seconds and five thirds for a bankroll of $191,823. Ocelot was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm. He was purchased for $13,000 Ocala Breeders Summer Sale in Florida in 2020.
It was the 16th win of the season for End Zone Athletics, out in front by six victories over L and G Racing.
On Saturday, Ocelot was sent off at 6-5 odds as the wagering favorite and held the lead from the half-mile pole to the finish in the route race. The first quartermile, he chased the front-running Brock On By (8-1), two lengths behind him. That horse faded to last after Ocelot overtook him at the half-mile. The fractions for the race were 23.56 seconds for the first quartermile, 47.11 seconds for the half-mile, 1:11.62 for threequarters and 1:24.08 for seven furlongs. The winning time for the mile was 1:37.36 over the firm going.
Mazuma, the second favorite in the race at 8-5 odds, checked in second, another three-quarters of a length ahead of third-place finisher Logical Myth (3-1). Ocelot paid $4.60 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show.
Broberg won the training title last year at Remington Park, but trails the track’s all-time winningest trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won 17 training trophies here. Asmussen also has more wins (10,291 thru Nov. 3) than any other North American conditioner in history. At this meet, Asmussen has 32 trips to the winner’s circle to Broberg’s 23. The rest of the top five shows Ronnie Cravens III in third with 20; Mindy Willis, 18, and Austin Gustafson, 15.
In the jockeys’ race, going into next week, the top five are:
• Stewart Elliott 60 wins.
• Lindey Wade 33.
• Floyd Wethey Jr. 32.
• Richard Eramia 29.
• Harry Hernandez 25. Remington Park racing continues tonight through Saturday. The first race nightly is 7:07 p.m.
