Remington Park: Z Rockstar has double edge

There will be two key factors working in Z Rockstar’s favor on Friday night when he seeks the first stakes win of his career in the $50,000 Tishomingo at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

The race shares a card with the $50,000 Te Ata, both at seven furlongs and both restricted to 3-year-olds bred in Oklahoma. The names of the races relate to the Chickasaw Nation, which through its subsidiary of Global Gaming owns Remington Park.

The Tishomingo, named for the Oklahoma town that served as the original capital of Chickasaw Nation, drew six horses. None is more accomplished than Z Rockstar, who has placed in three stakes, including the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in July and the $60,000 Prairie Mile at Prairie Meadows in June.

The Tishomingo will be Z Rockstar’s second start back from a two-month freshening, and follows his third-place finish in an Oklahoma-bred allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs at Remington on Aug. 30. He figures to move forward off that start and because of the added distance of this race. His best career Beyer Speed Figure, a 91, came off a two-turn allowance win at Oaklawn.

Z Rockstar is a son of Rockport Harbor who races for his breeder, Robert Zoellner. He is trained by Donnie Von Hemel and is to be ridden by Luis Quinonez. The chief threat is Polka Joke, who won the allowance prep over Z Rockstar.

The Te Ata, named for an actress from the Chickasaw Nation, goes with eight fillies. Miss Paxton won the allowance prep over four of her rivals, edging Jealous Ellis by a head in the race run Aug. 30 at Remington. Miss Paxton won wire to wire, and again looks like the speed in the Te Ata. Alex Birzer has the mount for Wade Chickering and trainer Lynn Chleborad.

Others making up the field include Ocean Ahumin, the sixth-place finisher in the allowance prep who is looking to recapture the form she used to win a division of the $55,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes at Will Rogers Downs in May.