Cougar Ridge earns first stakes in DeBartolo Memorial

Cougar Ridge became a stakes winner Saturday night when he darted home by four lengths over Fly the Red Eye in the $75,000 Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Handicap at Remington Park. It was another half-length back in third to Ecleto Red.

Cougar Ridge ($14) invaded from Kentucky for the DeBartolo, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up. He settled off the pace set by Ecleto Red, who took the field through fractions of 24.23 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.36 for the first half-mile, and 1:11.78 for six furlongs. Cougar Ridge waited behind horses on the final turn, found room in the stretch, and burst to the lead. He went on to cover the distance on firm ground in 1:41.87.

“I had a wonderful trip,” said winning rider C.J. McMahon.

Earlier this week, trainer Randy Morse said the right kind of performance would make Cougar Ridge a candidate to remain at his Remington division for next month’s $100,000 Remington Green on the Oklahoma Derby undercard Sept. 27.

Cougar Ridge races for Richard Bahde. He now has won 8 of 28 starts and $281,119. Cougar Ridge is a 5-year-old by Johannesburg, and he was bred in Kentucky by Wild as Elle LLC and Johannesburg Syndicate.

** Remington carded an allowance prep for the Oklahoma Derby on Saturday night, and Poseidon’s Way ($9.80) closed strongly to catch stablemate and pacesetter Hillbilly Royalty by a head. The winner covered the mile for 3-year-olds in 1:37.54. Luis Quinonez was aboard Poseidon’s Way for Pin Oak Stable and trainer Donnie Von Hemel.