Remington Park has 1st walkover in track history

The Remington Park season moved into September with the first of two race nights conducted without the regular jockey colony Thursday evening. The nine-race card had more scratches, 47, than competing horses, 33, and a walkover took place for the first time in track history.

The regular jockey colony boycotted racing and refused to accept mounts for Thursday and Friday nights at Remington Park in an effort to receive a new standard losing-mount fee, among other conditions. After days of negotiations with the representative horsemen’s group, the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma, a new agreement was made with the jockeys and they will return to action for the Saturday program.

Hard Gold was the only horse remaining in the third race Thursday, a $5,000-level claiming event at one mile on the main track. The other seven entered for the race scratched, leaving Hard Gold and jockey Adrian Morales the task of completing a walkover to earn their winning purse money.

Morales managed to get Hard Gold over the most important hurdle for a walkover, leaving the starting gate without incident and getting into a comfortable stride to make the circuit. A 5-year-old gelding by My Golden Song from the Hard Spun mare Maquita Elaine, Hard Gold covered the mile in a morning gallop-type effort of 1:47.24. Trained by J.R. Caldwell and bred in Texas by Brown Springs Farm, Hard Gold earned his fifth career win from 31 starts to go with five second-place runs and seven more in third. The winner’s share of $7,500 boosts the career earnings for Hard Gold to $124,071.

The third race was conducted with no wagering, for purse money only.

The historic walkover was not the only abnormal race happening of the evening as eight scratches from a 10-horse field left a match-race scenario in the ninth and final on Thursday. Bernardo and Gospel Mark faced off in a maiden special weight event at 7 1/2 furlongs over the turf.

Jockey Jose Medina launched Gospel Mark from the gate and opened up to lead by nearly 10 lengths as the pair made their way to the first turn. A first-timer over the turf, Gospel Mark relaxed a little after blasting the opening quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds. Once onto the backstretch, the 3-year-old gelding found a less frantic stride, while still making the half-mile in 46.49. Bernardo slowly began to creep up under Adrian Morales as they ran to the final turn.

After six furlongs in 1:11.49, Gospel Mark reached the stretch in front by three lengths with Bernardo making a final push. The finish line arrived in time for Gospel Mark to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:32.79 over the firm going.

Gospel Mark broke his maiden in his fourth career attempt. Owned, trained and bred in Oklahoma by Steve Williams of Wagoner, Okla., Gospel Mark is by Flameaway from the Arcano mare Good Marks. It was the first in-the-money effort for Gospel Mark.

Medina, a former regular at Remington Park, won three races on the night, beginning with Lightsoutscarlett in the sixth race. The second win came in the following race as Tapitsgotapistol won the seventh. Then the score on Gospel Mark in the ninth completed the hat trick.