News

SKIP A SMILE SKIMS RAIL FOR DEBARTOLO TALLY

From Remington Park Media Relations

Friday, September 02, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – Remington Park has conducted two $100,000 stakes events for older horses going around two turns so far this young season. The Governor’s Cup was first on Aug. 20 on the main track with the Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Handicap on Friday night over the turf. Both events were won by Skip A Smile.

Named after the founder of Remington Park, who passed in 1994, the DeBartolo is the track’s longest turf stakes race of the season at 1-1/8 miles. Skip A Smile handled the same distance in the Governor’s Cup, this time over the turf course, in similar fashion, moving from last to win each race.

Under jockey Luis Quinonez, Skip A Smile stayed close to his five competitors in the DeBartolo, only six lengths off the leaders moving into the stretch. Conversely, in the Governor’s Cup, the late-runner was 17 lengths back at one point. Staying near the rail off the turn, Quinonez placed the 4-year-old Skip A Smile in position to save ground and advance in the stretch.

“I was there and there was room at the rail,” Quinonez said of some apparent close quarters with rivals including Schramsberg, Dakota Gypsy and Beachcombing with a furlong to go as the quartet lined up next to each other. “They came over on top of me and put a lot of pressure on us,” he said, referring to a solid bump received with just over 100 yards left. “I had enough horse, I just powered through and once the stretch opened up a little bit, he got his stride back on.”

Owned by Rose Mary Chandler of Cibolo, Texas and trained by Steve Asmussen, Skip A Smile just moved away to win by a neck over an extremely game Dakota Gypsy who battled but just missed in second. Schramsberg was third, a length and a quarter back of the runner-up.

Skip A Smile handled the course in 1:48.96 over firm footing.

At 3-1 odds, Skip A Smile paid $8.40 to win, $5.20 to place and $3 to show. Dakota Gypsy paid $16.40 to place and $6 to show. Schramsberg returned $3 to show.

Expansion was the wagering favorite in the DeBartolo at 2-1 odds. The 6-year-old horse finished last, beaten nine lengths.

A gelding by 1998 Horse of the Year Skip Away from the Strawberry Road (Aus) mare Strawberry Smile, Skip A Smile won for the sixth time in 15 career starts. The win was his second in as many attempts at Remington Park, both in stakes action this season. He has now strung three consecutive stakes victories together, dating back to his win in the $75,000 Assault Stakes for Texas-breds at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas in June.

The $60,000 winner’s share of the DeBartolo moved Skip A Smile’s career earnings to $281,200.

The DeBartolo win was the first for Chandler while Asmussen posted his second victory in the event. It was the fourth DeBartolo win for Quinonez who has now won three of the last four editions of the race.

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