Perfect Season earns horse of the meeting honors for Separate Bet

 OKLAHOMA CITY - Separate Bet stepped to the Remington Park racing surface three times during the 2009 American Quarter Horse & Mixed-Breed Season, with victory the end result from each attempt. His perfect season has moved him to the top of the older horse division nationally while earning him Remington Park Horse of the Meeting honors in the process.

Owned by the Weatherford, Okla. partnership of Jimmy Harrel, Duane Harrel and Jo Ann Adams, Separate Bet is trained by Paul Jones and was handled in his three stakes triumphs by jockey Cody Jensen. The 5-year-old gray won the Grade 2, $50,000 Eastex Handicap on March 8, the Grade 2, $100,000 Leo Stakes on March 28 and the Grade 1, $200,000 Remington Park Championship on May 30.

A California-bred by Separatist from the First Down Dash mare Better Bet On Me, Separate Bet won his 11th career race in the Championship while earning $120,000 to push his career earnings to $635,113. His three stakes wins this season represent his three career victories at Remington Park from four attempts.

Separate Bet was also voted the season's Champion Older Male. His Championship win also earned him a berth into the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in southern California on Dec. 12. The Champion of Champions is the top race for older runners in American Quarter Horse racing.

Champion 2-year-old: Ragazzo
Winning the richest race in Oklahoma history helped Ragazzo pull in honors as the Champion 2-year-old at Remington Park. Owned and bred by Jorge Haddad of Seguin, Texas, Ragazzo won three consecutive races, capped by his score in the Grade 1, $1,107,000 Heritage Place Futurity.

Trained by Eddie Willis, Ragazzo was ridden by Freddie Martinez in the futurity win and by Jimmy Brooks in his maiden win and trial victory for the futurity. A 2-year-old colt by Shazoom from the First Down Dash mare Las Alamitos, Ragazzo earned $464,940 in the Heritage Place Futurity to boost his career earnings to $486,135.

Champion 3-year-old and Champion Oklahoma-Bred: Cuz Eye Said
Cuz Eye Said was busy throughout the Remington Park season, qualifying for all three major derbies that were contested and winning the last one offered, the Grade 2, $236,190 Heritage Place Derby on May 30.

Owned and bred by Risha Lindsey of Wynnewood, Okla. and trained by Luis Villafranco, Cuz Eye Said qualified for the Oklahoma Derby in March (finishing third) and the Remington Park Derby in April (finishing fourth) before winning the Heritage Place Derby on the season's final weekend.

Ridden in all of his attempts this season by Adalberto Candanosa, Cuz Eye Said won three races from six tries. The Oklahoma-bred colt by Mr Eye Opener from the Special Depth mare RG Special earned $99,205 in his derby triumph to run his lifetime bankroll to $244,294.

Cuz Eye Said was also awarded the Champion Oklahoma-bred honor for his success during the season.

Champion Older Female: Answer The Dream
The Remington Park season did not begin sharply for Answer The Dream but after a sixth place effort in the Decketta Handicap in March, she bounced back to win the Merial Oklahoma Distaff Challenge on Mothers' Day and the Grade 3, $50,000 Junos Request Stakes on May 30 to earn the title of Champion Older Female.

Owned by the Culver City, Calif. partnership of J. Garvan Kelly, Nancy Yearsley and J. Lloyd Yother, Answer The Dream is trained by Paul Jones and was ridden in all of her local races by Cody Jensen.

An Oklahoma-bred mare by Tres Seis from the Heza Fast Man mare Three Dee Dreams, Answer The Dream won her fifth career in the Junos Request while pushing her career earnings to $246,295.

Champion Distance Runner: Snowbound Superstar
In the most anticipated distance race in the history of the sport, Snowbound Superstar, the Remington Park track record holder at 870 yards, surged from behind to win the Red Cell Distance Challenge on May 10 over Gone To The Mountain, the world record holder at the measure.

A winner of 14 straight 870-yard races, Snowbound Superstar has never been defeated around the turn. Owned by Brenda & Tom Brinkley of Hollister, Calif. and trained by Paul Jones, the big gray has been ridden in all of his races by Cody Jensen.

A 6-year-old gelding by Snowbound (tb) from the Oh My Gee Whiz mare Shania Cash, Snowbound Superstar was bred in the state of Washington. He also won the Pauls Valley Handicap in April, when he broke the nearly 13-year-old 870-yard Remington Park track record.

Champion Paint: I Kick
By virtue of qualifying for all three futurities for Paints throughout the season, I Kick came home with the Champion Paint title, edging the sport's all-time great Got Country Grip.

Owned by Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. and trained by Matt Whitekiller, I Kick qualified with trial wins for the Oklahoma Paint Futurity in March, the American Paint Classic in April and the Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity on May 30. She finished third in both the Oklahoma Futurity and the American Paint Classic before posting victory in the $273,987 Graham on closing weekend.

Ridden by Cody Smith in all of her starts, I Kick, an Oklahoma-bred filly by Judys Lineage from the Be A Prospect mare Bugs Prospect, earned $104,120 in the Graham to run her lifetime total to $133,109.

 Champion Appaloosa: Cash For Casey
In winning the only race carded for just the Appaloosa breed during the season, Cash For Casey won the title of Champion Appaloosa.

Owned by Bill Conley, Sr. of Tulsa, Okla. and trained by Bonnie Wilson, Cash For Casey also broke his maiden at first asking here in March. He was ridden in all of his starts by Randy Wilson.

A 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding by Takin On The Cash from the Bold Episode (qh) mare Kisses For Casey, Cash For Casey won two of three attempts this season.

Champion Claimer: Business Tycoon
Consistency and a near miss in moving up in company helped earn Business Tycoon the award as Champion Claimer.

Owned by the S Bar S Ranch of Elgin, Texas and trained by K.C. Carden, Business Tycoon rattled off three straight victories, all at the $7,500 claiming level, before running second on May 21 for a $15,000 price tag. Ridden in all of his local starts by Berkley Packer, Business Tycoon has won seven races in his Remington Park career.

A Kansas-bred 5-year-old gelding by Make It Anywhere from the Streakin Six mare Finished Business, Business Tycoon has won 10 races from 31 career starts.

Remington Park live racing is now on hiatus until the start of the 2009 Thoroughbred Season on August 21.

Remington Park is a Top 3 North American Racetrack according to the Horseplayers Association of North America rating system. A division of Magna Entertainment Corp., Remington Park is Oklahoma City's only Racetrack & Casino, located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. Open every day at 10 a.m. Remington Park offers full-card simulcast racing and electronic gaming casino with 700 of the most popular games. The casino is open until Midnight Sunday thru Wednesday, operable until 2am on Thursday and until 3am on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.