Jessies First Down sets track record at Remington

Jessies First Down set a track record at Remington Park on Saturday night, when the reigning world champion Quarter Horse overtook champion and stablemate Hold Air Hostage for a length win in the Grade 1, $250,000 Remington Park Invitational.

It was another length back to Bodacious Eagle in third.

The Invitational was one of eight stakes on the closing-night card at Remington. The program was led by the Grade 1, $1,024,840 Heritage Place Futurity, the richest race in Oklahoma that was won by Sunnysyde ($11.40).

Jessies First Down ($4.80) broke well as Hold Air Hostage jumped out to the early lead. In the stretch, Jessies First Down worked past last year’s champion 3-year-old and went on to cover 440 yards on a fast track in 20.77 seconds. The previous record for the distance at Remington was 20.80, according to Daily Racing Form past performances.

“It was definitely a horse race and lived up to everything it was built up to,” Jimmy Padgett, who trains both horses, told the media department at Remington. “Hold Air broke on top and had the lead for probably three-quarters of the way, and then Jessie ran him down on the end. He’s a professional.”

Rodrigo Vallejo was aboard Jessies First Down for owner Ted Abrams.

“We knew that Hold Air Hostage would get out in front of us,” Abrams told publicity at Remington. “That’s just the way he does - he breaks fast. I thought we’d have to run him down at the end. To tell the truth, I didn’t think we’d pass him that fast. That might be the best race that Jessie has ever run in his life. He’s a phenomenal horse, I’ve run out of accolades for him.”

For the win, Jessies First Down earned a berth into the Champions of Champions in December at Los Alamitos, according to a press release from Remington. The horse has now won 17 of 36 starts and has earned $1,285,202. Jessies First Down is a son of Fdd Dynasty and a Texas homebred for Abrams.

He has won the last two world champion titles from the American Quarter Horse Association.

** Sunnysyde was always prominent in the Heritage Place, winning the 350-yard race by two lengths over Wokatee On Fire. The winner covered the distance in 17.14 seconds. Jose Linares was aboard Sunnysyde for Cox-Lane LLC and Josue Ponce. Sunnysyde is by Heza Fast Dash and was bred by Bobby Cox in Texas.