Rowdy The Warrior at one point last year was considered a possible long shot for the Kentucky Derby.
Rowdy The Warrior raced in the 2016, $300,000 Springboard Mile for his owner, Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla., and Remington Park’s all-time leading, and Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame, trainerDonnie Von Hemel as a 2-year-old at Remington Park. He then was pointed toward the Oaklawn Park prep races for the Kentucky Derby. The gelded son of Warrior’s Reward is 4-years-old now and on Wednesday night, he showed signs of that early brilliance with a win under jockey Luis Quinonez, taking an Oklahoma-bred allowance race on the turf at the one-mile distance.
As a 3-year-old, Rowdy The Warrior, made some long shot lists for the Kentucky Derby when he ran third in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes in Hot Springs, Ark. He broke poorly in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes in his next start and ran ninth, never showing any of his closing ability in a race that included Lookin At Lee, the runner-up in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Instead of going in the Rebel Stakes after that poor start, Rowdy the Warrior was entered in allowance-company on the Rebel undercard. He ran third in that spot, but it didn’t deter his connections as Dr. Zoellner decided to give him a shot in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. After running eighth to winner Classic Empire, Rowdy the Warrior took a drop in class. He picked up a couple of checks for third-place finishes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. earlier this year before rounding back into form at his home base of Remington Park.
The gelding ran second, beaten only a head in his first start at Remington Park among Oklahoma-bred allowance horses on Sept. 6. Wednesday night he went off as the 8-5 favorite in the $43,350 allowance race, the public backing him in his first ever try on the grass. Quinonez had Rowdy The Warrior in mid-pack until the top of the stretch and like the crafty veteran rider he is, he pulled the gelding to the inside for racing room and took the shortest path home to the winner’s circle against the rail. He finished a half-length ahead of second favorite Yes Mon for the victory. Timely Reply got up for third at 106-1 odds.
The win put another $24,718 into Rowdy the Warrior’s bankroll, increasing it to $152,368 for his career. He has now won 2-of-19 lifetime races, but is one-for-one on the turf.
He returned $5.20 to win, $3.40 to place and $2.80 to show across the board. Von Hemel is the only trainer to have won more than 1,000 races at Remington Park and he has taken 12 training titles in his tenure here.
Big Payoffs
When Big Tuna won the eighth race Wednesday at 71-1 odds, he helped set new high marks for a number of wagers on the young Remington Park season. Big Tuna’s $145.80 to win is a season high, as is the eighth-race exacta that paid $1,475.40 for those who had Big Tuna over Thunderupalley. The late daily double paid $1,317.20 with Big Tuna to After Red Sun ($15.80 to win) in race nine. The double price is a new season high mark.
Horsemen’s Standings
Jockey John Bisono’s two-bagger Wednesday night was good enough to move him into fifth place in the riders’ standings at Remington Park with eight trips to the winner’s circle this meet. He trails David Cabrera (24 wins), Ramon Vazquez (15), Richard Eramia (14) and Alex Birzer (11).
In the trainers’ race, Karl Broberg moved back to within one of first place and Steve Asmussen. The 13-time winning trainer at Remington Park remains one ahead of Broberg at 17-16.
The owners’ race has been a battle in the top two spots since Day 1 between nine-time winner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. and End Zone Athletics, Inc. of Mansfield, Texas, who each won one on Wednesday night. Caldwell has 10 victories to End Zone’s 9.
Oklahoma Derby Day Nominations, Released Thursday, Sept. 20
The nomination lists for the 10 stakes races that comprise Remington Park’s big Oklahoma Derby Day stakes card on Sunday, Sept. 30, will be released Thursday, Sept. 30. Featured on Sept. 30 are the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby and the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks.
Racing continues Thursday night with a card of nine races beginning at 7 p.m.
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