The Quarter Horses have come and gone from Remington for 2016. Per every RP QH meet, the season seems to start and finish in the blink of an eye. Official workouts begin in February, those precious training races follow soon thereafter and by early March we’re off to the races.
It is always a wild Springtime with something special going on every week. Trials, finals, Extreme Racing, The Kentucky Derby simulcast, the Mega-Card and tons of horsepower, promotions and winning through it all.
A new promotion and added way to win at Remington Park, was our League Night contest and competition. On Friday nights, guests were encouraged to participate in a free, four-race handicapping contest. There was a weekly $200 cash prize and a $1000 top prize for the 11-week contest. Those who joined it - enjoyed it. League Night at RP got started off like a winner. It will return for the 2016 Thoroughbred meet in August.
Fiesta At The Park faced some weather woes, but once a month Remington Park recognized its many Hispanic guests and horsemen with three events filled with live Mexican music and Mexican food trucks. The threat of April showers forced one band to relocate inside to our Silks clubhouse restaurant; but on all three occasions there was a nice vibe, vibration and libations. Long live los churros!
Extreme Racing for Charity is always tough to top and this year was no different. The Clydesdales cantered, the donkeys ducked (and bucked), the ostriches – odd as ever, and the camel race saw jockey G.R. Carter come out of retirement to win aboard a camel at RP for the third time. Carter retired from riding as Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading jockey in wins and earnings.
G. R. retired in 2015 having won 18 Remington Park Leading Jockey titles. So then, without Carter on his throne, jockey Ivan Carnero was quick to find the lead in the standings and finish up on top. Ivan is a kind and quiet young man who deserves the charmed life he is living in the saddle. Many of his wins came astride Clint Crawford trained horses. Clint tied for the 2015 RP Leading Trainer and won it outright and convincingly this year at RP.
There were many racehorse stars at RP in 2016. Ivoriona began her career by setting a track record here at 250 yards (13.03). She went undefeated in three races, leaving it all on the track in a gut-wrenching, dead-heat win (with PHQ Goodbye Earl) in the G1 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity. Ajs High also won three races; all three were stakes races and all three wins suggest he can face the best of the best in Quarter Horse racing. However, he did not face Zoomin Effortlessly, who was a thing of beauty. We only saw Zoomin Effortlessly run twice at RP, but his wins and the post-race winnerviews” with jockey Santos Carrizales were memorable. Beyond the trainer and owner of the horse, Santos has a remarkable bond with the 5-year-old gelding who he frequently referred to as “a member of the family.” Zoomin Effortlessly also set a track record at 440 yards (20.75) and was voted 2016 Quarter Horse of the Meet.
Years ago, the AQHA tagged the racing American Quarter Horse as “America’s Fastest Athlete.” I’ll buy that. There are many robust, well-trained, equine athletes that come into the RP paddock. And they are fast! It was a treat to experience arguably the best-balanced meet of Quarter Horse racing in the world.
Over 550 times, in typically less than :20 seconds. Whoosh! That’s it. It started and it’s over. That’s Quarter Horse racing. And that was RP QH 2016.
Chris Kotulak
June 16, 2016
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