Welder proves fastest of fast with David M. Vance win

From a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint, Welder turned in the biggest performance on Sunday’s card of 10 stakes at Remington Park. He earned a 96 for his victory in the $150,000 David M. Vance, the highest on the program, which included the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby and Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks.

“I can’t even talk right now,” trainer Theresa Luneack said in the winner’s circle after watching the Oklahoma-bred Welder defeat a strong field of open rivals in the Vance.

Welder was winning his seventh stakes race, and the victory pushed his earnings to more than $500,000. He contested quick fractions Sunday and went on to a 3 1/4-length win.

The next stop for Welder, who races for Ra-Max Farms, will be the Oklahoma Classics Night program Oct. 19 at Remington. Luneack told track publicity that the $130,000 Sprint is the target with the horse. A longerrange objective is defense of his title in the $65,000 Silver Goblin for Oklahoma-breds on Nov. 16 at Remington.

Bold Ruler for Pop Keenan?

Pop Keenan was the first Remington Park starter for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer John Servis, and he finished a fast-closing third in the Vance on Sunday. The next stop could be Belmont Park.

Servis said Pop Keenan will be considered for the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler at seven furlongs Oct. 27. Pop Keenan was to fly back to his Parx Racing base Wednesday.

Pop Keenan found himself farther back than usual in the Vance. He closed from last and just missed second by a neck.

“He broke a little sluggish, got stuck behind a wall of horses, swung out wide,” Servis said.

Servis had two other starters on the card, both in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. Diamond King finished third, beaten a head, and First Mondays closed from 11th to sixth.

First Mondays is a promising son of Curlin who ran third in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones in August at Parx.

“He’s a horse that we’re putting away for the rest of the year,” Servis said. “I look for him to have a really good year next year. He’s still immature. He’s got so much talent.”

Servis said First Mondays reacted to the dirt hitting his face in the Oklahoma Derby and once clear came running. He’s made four starts, launching his career with a pair of sprint wins at Gulfstream.

Jones looking at Zia Oaks

Trainer Larry Jones won one of the first runnings of the Zia Park Oaks – the marquee race at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. – back in 2014 with Cassatt. Jones said he might return for the 1 1/16-mile stakes Nov. 21 with Hold Her Tight.

Hold Her Tight last raced Sunday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. She broke from post 10 in the 1 1/16mile race and finished fourth, three lengths behind winner She’s a Julie.

“She was looking good coming around the turn,” Jones said. “I jumped on and started riding, and I’m overweight!

“She’s a Julie is a really good horse. Hold Her Tight ran her race. We were proud of her.”

Hold Her Tight ran third in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks and is based at Churchill for owner Brereton Jones.

La. Downs daily handle dips

Louisiana Downs closed its 84-date meet Sept. 26 with a small decline in average daily handle on its races, but a double-digit increase in handle on Super Derby Day.

Louisiana Downs, which puts on seven- and eight-race cards for most of the season, handled an average $768,638 a program, down 4 percent from the corresponding meet in 2017, according to figures provided by officials. The average daily handle on its races offtrack was $725,958, and ontrack, $42,679.

Handle on the Super Derby Day program of 13 races Sept. 2 was $1,943,318, up 12 percent.

Louisiana Downs also reported average handle per race was $109,619, up 3 percent.

“We are encouraged by the increase in our per-race handle and the momentum we saw at the end of the meet, highlighted by a very strong closing-day handle,” Eric Halstrom, director of operations for Louisiana Downs, said in a press release. “It remains difficult to attract horses to Northwest Louisiana, and the reduction in the number of races we ran in 2018 is a reflection of that. We will work hard in the months to come to build momentum with both horsemen and patrons for our 2019 live racing season.”

The number of races was down 7 percent from last year, Halstrom said.

◗ Remington Park will introduce a wager Friday night called the Sooner 6ix, which will offer a jackpot payoff if there is only one ticket with 6 of 6 correct. The Sooner 6ix is a 20-cent wager and will run on the final six races of every program at Remington. The takeout is 21 percent.