Jessies First Down, Hold Air Hostage in Remington clash

Jessies First Down, the reigning world champion Quarter Horse, meets Hold Air Hostage, a champion going for his seventh consecutive win, in an epic clash of stablemates Saturday night in the Grade 1, $250,000 Remington Park Invitational Championship.

The 440-yard race is one of eight stakes on a closing-night program worth $2.2 million. The Grade 1, $1,024,840 Heritage Place Futurity for Quarter Horses anchors the card as the richest race in Oklahoma. The 12-race program begins with a special first post of 5 p.m. Central.

Jessies First Down, the world champion in 2016 and 2017, races for Ted G. Abrams. Hold Air Hostage, who was the champion 3-year-old of 2017, races for Darling Farms.

“It’s definitely a blessing to have these horses,” trainer Jimmy Padgett said. “You go your whole life looking for one, and to get two, and have them at the same time, it’s a blessing. I have two classy owners who don’t turn it into a competition. They love the racing, the horses.”

Jessies First Down launched his 7-year-old season April 28 at Remington and was a two-length winner of the Grade 1 Leo Stakes. It was his 16th win from 35 starts, and one of the largest margins of victory of his career.

“It was amazing,” Padgett said. “The horse is a consummate professional. Coming off a layoff, he did it effortlessly. Coming back to the barn, he wasn’t one bit tired.

“It was a building step to this one.”

Jessies First Down’s wins last year during his second world championship season included the Grade 1 All American Gold Cup by 2 1/2 lengths at Ruidoso and the Grade 1 Zia Park Championship.

“He’s perfectly conformed, a dead-sound horse, and he loves to run,” Padgett said. “He’s a dream. He’s as smart as they come, happy and just does his job.”

Hold Air Hostage started his season with a three-quarter-length win in the Grade 1 Sooner State, a 400-yard race for Oklahoma-breds. He began his win streak last year at Remington, in the Heritage Place Derby. He also won the Rainbow Derby and the All American Derby in 2017.

“He won the Sooner State here a month ago and he did it pretty easily,” Padgett said.

Hold Air Hostage will break from the rail and has had success from the fence in the past, Padgett said.

“He won the Heritage Place Derby out of the one hole and he won his trial for the All American Derby, for which he was the fastest qualifier, out of the one hole.

“If you watch his races, 50 yards out of the gate, he puts it on them early. We’ll see what happens.”

Aqua Flash and Vf Jedi Returns were the fastest qualifiers for the Heritage Place Futurity. There were a total of 22 trials for the 350-yard race, spread over two nights at Remington.

Aqua Flash won her trial on the first night, getting 350 yards in 17.58 seconds. Vf Jedi Returns was the fastest qualifier on the second night, covering the same distance in 17.56 seconds.

Aqua Flash is a perfect 2 for 2, and she dominated by 1 3/4 lengths in her trial. Vf Jedi Returns was winning his third start of the meet in his trial, which he captured by a half-length. He will break from the rail, while Aqua Flash will start from post 3.