Remington Park postponed racing on Dec. 14-15 due to winter weather and freezing conditions. The Oklahoma City track rescheduled the races for Dec. 21-22.
Now, the 2020 thoroughbred season at Remington Park will end with five consecutive race dates. The Friday, Dec. 18 card features 13 races topped by the $200,000 Springboard Mile, the top 2-year-old stakes race of the season.
Stakes Races at Remington Park
There are six stakes races on Friday starting in Race 8 (post time 9:23 p.m. ET). Multiple Pick 3’s are available to bet starting in Race 8, and Twinspires provides the online betting platform to cash in at the races.
- Race 8: $75,000 She’s All In Stakes – Fillies and mares, 1 mile 70 yards
- Race 9: $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes – State-bred 3-year-olds, 1 mile
- Race 10: $70,000 Useeit Stakes – State-bred 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile
- Race 11: $60,000 Trapeze Stakes – 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile
- Race 12: $200,000 Springboard Mile – 2-year-olds, 1 mile
- Race 13: $60,000 Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial – 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile 70 yards
Road to the Kentucky Derby Includes the Springboard Mile
The Remington Springboard Mile is a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race and awards the top four finishers Derby points on a 10-4-2-1 scale.
Remington Park’s signature race for juveniles was given its current name and mid-December calendar slot in 2009. Although it’s not a graded stakes race, a steady purse increase has significantly raised the profile of the one-mile race.
The Springboard Mile has produced five Kentucky Derby starters, and in 2017, the Springboard Mile was added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race schedule. That year, three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Victor Espinoza guided Greyvitos to victory in the stakes-record time of 1:37.14.
Springboard Mile Contenders
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf third-place finisher Outadore will race on dirt for the first time in the Springboard Mile. The Wesley Ward-trained Outadore (3/1) is the morning line favorite and son of Outwork, who won the 2016 Wood Memorial.
Trainer Steve Asmussen has won back-to-back Springboard Miles, and he enters Cowan (4/1) as a contender. Cowan finished second to the well-regarded Golden Pal on the grass in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade 2). While Cowan has posted the fastest speed figures by Brisnet ratings of those entered in the Springboard Mile, his stamina remains in question. Cowan finished second to Outadore in September, and both have shown their best on turf. Asmussen-trained juveniles have won the Springboard Mile six times, and he has another speedster entered in Saffa’s Day (10-1).
Should a speed duel develop with a number of runners expected to push the pace, then Senor Buscador (15-1) may be able to pick up the pieces. Senor Buscador is a son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, and he’ll break from the rail in the Springboard Mile. Senor Buscador was a most impressive debut winner last month at Remington Park when he rallied from 10 lengths behind to win going away.
Third-place finisher Flash of Mischief (15/1) is also entered and breaks from the far outside post in the Springboard Mile. Horse Racing Radar adds notes on the contenders and other entries scheduled to race in the Springboard Mile.
Remington Park Closing Week
During the Saturday, Dec. 19 program, two-time Oklahoma Horse of the Year Welder will attempt to win his 15th career race at Remington Park. If successful in Race 8 as the 6/5 favorite, the gray 7-year-old gelded son of The Visualiser will tie the track’s all-time career wins mark.
Racing on both Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20, will begin at 8 p.m. ET, and the extended racing schedule will conclude Monday and Tuesday with races starting at 1 p.m. ET.
