It is wildfire season in Oklahoma but nothing is hotter than jockey Juan Pulido at Remington Park, capturing his second four-win evening in the past three racing days. The riding quadruple on Wednesday night, moved him into the lead in the jockeys’ standings, one win ahead of Francisco Calderon.
Pulido also won four this past Friday (April 19) and then Saturday won the Remington Park Derby and Remington Park Oaks in back-to-back races. He is en fuego.
The fourth win for Pulido on Wednesday came in the final race on the program, giving him 26 trips to the winner’s circle this season. Calderon, who had a daylight lead over every jockey going into last week, now trails in second with 25 wins. He was shut out on Wednesday.
Pulido’s fourth winner of the evening Wednesday came in the featured allowance race when he guided Js Freightrain to an easy win in what looked like a strong field of allowance, non-winners of three races lifetime. Js Freightrain, a 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Freighttrain B, out of the Apollitical Jess mare As and Js, skipped home to a daylight victory by 2-3/4 lengths as the 9-5 betting favorite ($5.60 to win). She covered the 330-yard distance in :16.294, just .018 of a second off the track record of :16.276 set by I Am Candy on April 3 this year.
Js Freightrain earned $18,450 from the $31,210 purse and improved to seven starts, three wins, one second and one third for earnings of $65,604 for owner Alcala Ranch of Jones, Okla. Cristian Alcala trains this filly, while his dad, Leo Alcala, owned and trained the winner’s mother, As and Js, to more than a half-million dollars in earnings. Leo bred this filly.
It didn’t appear it would be a big night for Pulido in the early going as half the races had finished without him going to the winner’s circle. Over the final six races, Pulido won four of them. The Pulido run of success started in the seventh race when he was in the irons of PYC Power ($4.60), a maiden winner for owner Dunn Ranch and trainer Jed Vane. That got the ball rolling for Pulido as he then scored again in the next race, winning the eighth aboard Dr Make It Sweet ($9), another maiden winner for Dunn Ranch and Vane. Pulido’s other victorious charge down the lane came after he had gotten a leg up by Alcala in the 10th race on Razor Hawk Cartel ($10). That horse won for Alcala, Pulido and owner Angelica Brizuela.
Behind Pulido and Calderon in the standings are Ali Rivera, nine back with 16 wins, Roman Cruz at 15 and two tied for fifth place at 13 – Jesus Ayala and Mario Delgado.
Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Sunday, April 24-27. The first race nightly is at 6pm, with Sunday racing at 4pm. All times are Central.
