Asmussen, Elliott win training, riding titles at Remington Park

North America’s all-time winningest trainer Steve Asmussen has added to his list of endless accolades and awards, winning an unprecedented 18th Chuck Taliaferro training title at Remington Park. The 2023 Thoroughbred season came to a close Saturday.

Asmussen’s colleague in the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Donnie Von Hemel, is the closest to him with 12 training titles at Remington Park. Asmussen’s first training title came in fall 1991 at Remington. He added this season’s title when he won 43 times, 16 more than runner-up Karl Broberg.

Broberg is the only reason Asmussen hasn’t won 17 training titles in a row at Remington Park. He has won 15 of the last 17, and Broberg has edged him out in the other two in 2022 and 2015. Asmussen has won every other title since 2007.

Asmussen also was top conditioner at Remington Park in the fall of 1995, the fall of 1992 and the fall of 1991. Asmussen has trained at the track since it opened in 1988.

“All the credit goes to Pablo (Ocampo, assistant trainer at Remington Park),” Asmussen said Friday night as he witnessed one of the two biggest wins of the meet, Otto the Conqueror getting 10 Kentucky Derby points by winning the $300,000 Springboard Mile. Asmussen also won the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby with How Did He Do That.

“Pablo deserves it for all 18 titles,” Asmussen continued. “It has been a great association with him all these years. I’ve worked with him here since 1989 and I am extra fortunate to have had him. Winning the first one is one of my fondest memories and I love coming here.”

Rounding out the top five for trainers this meet behind Asmussen and Broberg were Ronnie Cravens III (26 wins) with Ray Ashford and Mindy Willis tied for fourth (20).

In his 37-year training career, Asmussen has won 10,332 races and his horses have earned more than $430 million since 1986, according to Equibase statistics. His top horses include three horses of the year, Curlin twice, Gun Runner and Rachel Alexandra.

The Remington Park leading trainer award is named after Chuck Taliaferro, a two-time leading trainer in the formative years of the track and a fellow Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer with Asmussen. Taliaferro died in 1994.

Elliott wins first Remington riding title

In the jockey’s standings race this meet, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Stewart Elliott won his first title at Remington Park in runaway fashion, capturing the Pat Steinberg Award.

Elliott posted 74 wins, 29 more than runner-up Lindey Wade at 45. Elliott made Remington Park his regular fall stop in 2019. He won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness aboard Smarty Jones in 2004.

Elliott’s 74 victories were three more than last year’s top rider Cristian Torres’s 71. Torres did not ride regularly at Remington Park this Fall. The high mark historically at Remington Park is 126 wins by Tim Doocy in 1997.

“I’m thankful I’ve had a lot of support here at Remington with Steve (Asmussen) loading me up with live horses and all the other trainers,” said Elliott. “I’m fortunate I have had such good business here, and my agent Scott Hare gets a lot of the credit.”

Among the top winners Elliott brought back to the winner’s circle this meet were How Did He Do That in the Oklahoma Derby.

In his career, Elliott has had more than 35,000 mounts, winning with 5,626 of them and their earnings in excess of $123 million, according to Equibase statistics.

Rounding out the top five riders behind Elliott and Wade were Richard Eramia in third with 44 wins, Jose Alvarez in fourth with 42 and Floyd Wethey Jr. fifth with 40.

The leading jockey award is named after Pat Steinberg, who dominated he Remington Park colony in the track’s first five years, winning nine riding title before his passing in 1993.

End Zone Athletics gains third owner title

In the owners’ standings, Broberg’s outfit End Zone Athletics of Mansfield, Texas, won its second title in a row and third in the last five years. End Zone was responsible for 18 wins this meet, five more than runner-up L and G Racing Stables at 13. Following the top two were George A. Sharp and Bryan Hawk, tied with 12, and Asmussen rounded out the five in fifth with 11.

The leading owner award at Remington Park is named in honor of Ran Ricks Jr., the first owner with horses on the grounds at Remington Park, Ricks, who died in 1996, won six owner titles in Oklahoma City.