Remington Park: Slide On Bye seeks repeat in Ricks Memorial

Slide On Bye will have a couple of factors working in her favor Saturday night when she defends her title in the $50,000 Ricks Memorial at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. The one-mile turf race drew 11 fillies and mares, including 2009 Ricks winner Pleasantly Blessed.

Slide On Bye appears to have post position and pace in her favor. She will break from post 3, which is a much-improved post over her last start Aug. 19, when she finished fifth from the 11-hole in a 7 1/2-furlong allowance prep for the Ricks.

She closed into a solid pace for that race and could get even quicker fractions Saturday behind such rivals as Devil and Diamonds, a front-runner seeking her fifth straight win; Paper Shredder, a quick mare invading from Evangeline Downs; and Tornado Betty, who made the fractions in the allowance prep for the Ricks.

Bryan McNeil has the mount on Slide On Bye, who will be making her second start since winning a July 4 allowance at Lone Star Park that has since produced two next-out allowance winners. Francisco Bravo trains Slide On Bye for Michael Grossman.

Pleasantly Blessed closed fast to win the Ricks allowance prep at Remington. She powered home by 1 1/2 lengths, one start after missing by a neck in the Lone Star allowance won by Slide On Bye. Jockey Luis Quinonez will ride Pleasantly Blessed for owner-trainer Steve Asmussen.
All About Allie, a four-time stakes winner on dirt, will make her turf debut for a stallion who gets about 10 percent winners on the grass. Cliff Berry has the mount for trainer David Whited.