Caldwell Wins 6th Consecutive Title as Remington Park’s Leading Owner

OKLAHOMA CITY – Exercising great skills in claiming horses, owner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. won his sixth consecutive title as Remington Park’s leading Thoroughbred owner. He ended the season Sunday with a record 49 wins for the season.

Caldwell wins the Ran Ricks, Jr. Trophy, named in honor of the first owner with horses on the grounds at Remington Park and a multiple leading owner here in the track’s early years. This is the seventh overall Ricks Trophy for Caldwell who won his first in 2008 and then every season starting in 2010 thru 2015.

Finding horses he believes can be moved up in class and who usually have some conditions remaining for their resume, Caldwell is a frequent user of the claims box, buying horses out of eligible races. His trainer Federico Villafranco then takes over and they race the horses where they believe they fit concerning their class level. While the operation claims a lot of horses each season, they are not afraid of having them claimed away either, running the horses where they have their best chance to compete.

Second in the owner standings by wins was End Zone Athletics of Mansfield, Texas with 28 wins. End Zone is owned in part by trainer Karl Broberg. Third in the standings was Clark Brewster of Tulsa, Okla. with 24 wins. Brewster’s horses at Remington Park are trained by Steve Asmussen and Scott Young.

Caldwell also led in earnings by an owner with $856,635. C.R. Trout of Edmond, Okla. was second in earnings with $752,095, thanks in large part to the wins compiled by Oklahoma Derby winner Shotgun Kowboy.

Dream Walkin Farms of Norman, Okla., the racing operation of music superstar Toby Keith, earned $521,227.

Leading Trainer Karl Broberg

Much like owner Danny Caldwell, trainer Karl Broberg is extremely active with claiming horses. His operation had its most productive season ever since he arrived at Remington Park a few years ago.

Broberg racked up 62 wins from 233 starters, scoring at a 27% clip. His horses also finished second 45 times and third 32 times for a 60% top-three finishing percentage.

Broberg, of Mansfield, Texas, utilized jockey C.J. McMahon as his first-call rider. Broberg wins the Chuck Taliaferro Memorial Trophy, named in honor of one of the initial leading trainers at Remington Park in the track’s formative years.

Finishing second in the trainer standings was Federico Villafranco with 53 wins. Third was Steve Asmussen with 38 wins.

Broberg becomes the first trainer other than Steve Asmussen to win the Taliaferro Trophy at Remington Park since Donnie Von Hemel in 2006.

The leading trainer by horse earnings is Donnie Von Hemel whose starters made $965,969 on the season. My Master Plan, the undefeated 2-year-old filly who won the Gaylord Memorial Stakes and the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes, was one of his main charges.

Broberg was second in earnings with $910,696. Villafranco was third with $897,444.

Leading Jockeys: Ramon Vazquez and C.J. McMahon

The Pat Steinberg Trophy will have to be duplicated for 2015 as for the first time in Remington Park Thoroughbred Season history, there was a tie after the season came to a close.

Ramon Vazquez, winner of the Steinberg Trophy in 2013 and 2014, made up ground on McMahon in the final weekend. He came from one behind as the final day started, winning three races to reach 87 wins for the season.

C.J. McMahon, competing for the first time at Remington Park, had 85 wins going into Springboard Mile Day on Dec. 13. He won a pair of races to reach 87 and force the tie at the top after Vazquez had taken the lead for three races.

Neither jockey could win another race over the final four events on the card, forcing the first tie in the Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park.

Jareth Loveberry finished third in the standings with 56 wins.

The Steinberg Trophy is named after the jockey who dominated the first years at Remington Park, winning nine consecutive leading rider titles before his untimely death in an automobile accident in 1993.

McMahon was the leading jockey by mount earnings with $1,897,936. Vazquez was second with $1,773,477.

Retiring jockey Cliff Berry, a 15-time leading jockey at Remington Park, finished third in earnings with $1,690,757. He accumulated most of his money aboard Shotgun Kowboy, winner of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby and $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup.

Three other jockeys finished above the million-dollar mark in earnings, including: Luis Quinonez ($1,458,331), Jareth Loveberry ($1,403,765) and Alex Birzer ($1,010,960).

Open for casino gaming and simulcast racing, Remington Park features the Bricktown Brewery on the casino floor. Admission, general parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park.

Tracked by over 88,000 fans on Facebook and 6,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park is Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino and is located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.

Source: Remington Park