Stidham sending Embolden to Springboard Mile at Remington

Embolden, a stakes winner whose recent starts have come in New York, is headed to Oklahoma. Trainer Michael Stidham said Monday that Embolden is being pointed to the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park. The race, which will close out the meet Sunday, awards its top four finishers points for the Kentucky Derby on a sliding scale of 10-4-2-1.

Stidham said Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount on Embolden, who races for Dare To Dream Stable. Embolden captured the $100,000 Jamestown in September at Colonial Downs. He went on to place in a pair of stakes in New York, including the Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont Park in which he ran third to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Four Wheel Drive.

The Springboard Mile is being showcased on a card of six stakes that will have a special first post of 3 p.m. Central.

Stidham eyes Sam Houston

Sam Houston Race Park has been able to make significant purse increases for the meet that opens Jan. 10 due to favorable legislation that passed earlier this year in Texas. As a result, the Houston track is luring some new stables to town, including Stidham.

“We’re planning on a small division at Houston,” Stidham said Monday.

Stidham, who also has winter divisions at Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs, has some longstanding ties to Sam Houston. He won the $150,000 Sam Houston Oaks with Two Altazano during the track’s inaugural season in 1994, a few starts prior to her victory in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park. Stidham also trained for the Stonerside operation of the late Bob McNair and his wife, Janice.

Stidham said Pixelate, winner of the $100,000 Central Park last Friday at Aqueduct, is a candidate for the inaugural running of the $200,000 Texas Turf Mile on Jan. 26 at Sam Houston.

“That’s a much needed division,” he said. “Really, there aren’t a lot of stakes for 3-year-olds early in the year on the grass. We’re taking a hard look at that race.”

Pixelate is a son of City Zip who races for his breeder, Godolphin.

Mt. Brave tops allowance

Mt. Brave returns to the overnight ranks Thursday night at Remington Park in the featured sixth race, a no-conditions allowance for fillies and mares over six furlongs. The field of eight includes fellow stakes winners Spring Steen, Brave Daisey, Sunday Night Miss, and Fiddlers Tsunami.

Mt. Brave won the $50,000 Flashy Lady over six furlongs in her last start Sept. 29 at Remington Park. The Beyer Speed Figure of 90 the 3-year-old earned for defeating older rivals is the best last-race and career number in the race Thursday. Richard Eramia has the mount from the rail for leading trainer Steve Asmussen.

Mt. Brave is a daughter of the millionaire mare Wild Gams and races for Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel.

Barn lifted from quarantine

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture has lifted a quarantine on the first of two barns that have been locked down at Remington Park due to a handful of positive tests for equine herpesvirus. The first positive was confirmed Nov. 14. The second barn, as well as an isolation barn, remain under quarantine. The next round of testing was to have been held Monday.

◗ Sam Houston announced Monday that it has modified its shipping policy to accept horses from the non-quarantined barns at Remington. The new policy, which has some specific requirements, was to go into effect Wednesday.