Long Range Toddy Steps It Up in Springboard Mile
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Photo: Coady Photography
Trainer Steve Asmussen finished first and second with Long Range Toddy and Bankit in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park
Willis Horton Racing's Long Range Toddy kept his win streak going Dec. 16, scoring the third consecutive win of his juvenile season in the $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park.
Facing four other Steve Asmussen-trained stablemates in the 11-horse field, Long Range Toddy was not exactly the favorite in Sunday's one-mile dirt test. Sent off at odds of 18-1, the 2-year-old son of Take Charge Indy settled in third to stalk the pace behind early leader Dobbins G and Marquee Prince.
Clicking off fractions of :24.13 and :48.76 through the first half-mile, Dobbins G managed to hold a short-lived lead along the backstretch before faltering, allowing Dunph to take charge as they approached the far turn.
Dropping back momentarily to fifth, jockey Richard Eramia guided Long Range Toddy four wide in the far turn and commenced a late rally to the front. In a long drive to the finish, last-out Sleepy Hollow Stakes winner Bankit issued a late challenge to the colt's outside but was unable to edge Long Range Toddy, who eked out the win by a head.
Final time for the race was 1:39.75. Bankit took second, followed by Dunph in third and Tone Broke in fourth.
The winner returned $39.20 to win, $14 to place, and $7.20 to show on a $2 wager.
Winner of the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes Nov. 2 at Remington, Long Range Toddy's victory in the Springboard completed his sweep of the two top local stakes races for juveniles at the Oklahoma track. The colt also earned the much-coveted 10 qualifying points applied toward the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Not to be left out of the Derby action, runner-up Bankit was awarded four points, with Dunph and Tone Broke earning two points and one point, respectively.
Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Long Range Toddy is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Pleasant Song. He has won three of his four starts and earned $321,125.
The headlining event on Sunday's card, the Springboard was one of six stakes on a 12-race program.
Sydney Freeman started the afternoon with a dominating, 4 3/4-length win in the $70,000 Useeit Stakes for Oklahoma-bred fillies. One race later, United Patriot followed with his own score in the $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, which was also restricted to 3-year-old Oklahoma-breds.
Asmussen notched another victory Sunday in the $100,000 She's All In Stakes with Clever Serve, the first stakes win from 27 starts for the 4-year-old daughter of To Honor and Serve.
Cowgirls Like Us was the handy winner of the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes for trainer Bret Calhoun. It was the third stakes win in a row for the 2-year-old filly who broke her maiden Aug. 15 in the Darby's Daughter Division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama Park.
Lone Rock closed the day with a win in the $75,000 Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial Stakes for 3-year-olds and older. It was the first stakes win for the son of Majestic Warrior, and marked the 25th black-type stakes winner for his sire. Lone Rock entered the race off a first-place finish in a Nov. 16 optional-claiming allowance race at Churchill Downs.