Opening-night Governor's Cup rekindles long-standing rivalry

Remington Park in Oklahoma City jumps into its 67-date meet Friday night with a rematch of Rated R Superstar and Plainsman in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup.

The Governor’s Cup is the first of 34 stakes races on a calendar that includes the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 25 and the $400,000 Springboard Mile on closing night, Dec. 17.

The Governor’s Cup is the meet’s top race for older horses. The late-running Rated R Superstar leads the eight-horse field in earnings with more than $1.6 million and is the race’s defending winner, having caught Plainsman, an earner of $1.4 million, by a neck in the 1 1/8-mile stakes last year.

For the rematch, Plainsman will start from post 2 under Reylu Gutierrez. David Cabrera has the mount on Rated R Superstar, who will break from the rail for owner Danny Caldwell and trainer Federico Villafranco.

“Hopefully, he gets the setup and gets a good trip, and things fall right like they did last year,” Caldwell said. “That was a big win for us. Any stakes win is big for us, especially one right here at our home track, in our home state. I’d love to do it again Friday night.”

Caldwell has won 12 Thoroughbred owners’ titles at Remington, including the last two. Caldwell said the Governor’s Cup will be a challenging race.

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“Plainsman, we’ve got a rivalry with him,” Caldwell said.

The horses have been frequent foes. During the most recent Oaklawn meet, Plainsman won the Razorback at the expense of Rated R Superstar, who came back and won the Essex over Plainsman.

“There are a couple others in there, horses who might get the lead and go on and you might never catch them,” Caldwell said of the Governor’s Cup. “It’s not going to be easy.”

Flash of Mischief won a Canterbury allowance on the front end in July with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 93. He will break from post 7 under Cristian Torres. Last year, Flash of Mischief was second in the Oklahoma Derby.

Ethical Judgement is new to the local scene and arrives off an allowance win at Ellis Park. Tiz Life, a son of American Pharoah and the Grade 1 winner Tiz Miz Sue, is making his stakes debut.

“Rated R Superstar is doing good, feeling good, seemed to like the track the other day,” Caldwell said. “I was there when he worked, and he galloped out pretty strong. I think he’ll run his race.”

Caldwell has 40 horses on the grounds, including some he owns in partnership with country music artist Toby Keith of Dream Walkin Farms. The men race as Country Bro Stables and have Denver City pointing to the $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint on Sept. 23. Caldwell said their Go Speed Racer Go could develop into a candidate for the $150,000 Remington Green on Sept. 25.

“I always try to gear up for Remington,” Caldwell said. “I’ve been scattered out at three tracks this summer. We’re all coming together. I’ll have my best horses at Remington.”

Dale Day, the track’s announcer and spokesman, said there were more than 1,100 horses on the grounds as of Monday, with the track able to house 1,400.

“Horses are still flowing in,” he said.

Remington’s nine-race opener drew 87 horses for an average of 9.7 horses per race. Remington will race Friday and Saturday the last two weekends in August and then settle into a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule after Labor Day. First post will be 7 p.m. Central.

The exceptions include a Sunday card for Oklahoma Derby Day, with a 3 p.m. first post. Springboard Mile Day will start at 5 p.m. There also are some Monday and Tuesday cards in November that will begin at 2:30 p.m.

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Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is back in search of his 18th training title. He has won the track’s last six titles dating to 2016. Robertino Diodoro has returned to Remington after a one-year absence, said Day, while Todd Fincher has an expanded division at the meet. New trainers at the meet include Dick Cappellucci and Jayde Gelner.

Day said new faces in the riding colony include Torres and Jansen Melancon. Cabrera is seeking to win his fifth straight local title, while Stewart Elliott is coming off the title at Lone Star Park.

The Oklahoma Derby will anchor a card of eight stakes worth $1.1 million, including the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. The Springboard Mile, which has traditionally awarded points for the Kentucky Derby, will be showcased on a card of six stakes. The $1 million Oklahoma Classics Night is Oct. 21.

Day said patrons will find a remodeled area near the racing entrance, as well as a lush turf course. Temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s come first post.

There’s also some bragging rights for state racing fans, as Edmond, Okla., resident Rick Dawson won this year’s Kentucky Derby with longshot Rich Strike.