For Immediate Release – Oklahoma City, Ok – October 8, 2022 — The betting public made Empire Pass a heavy favorite in the featured allowance sprint at Remington Park on Saturday night and they were right.
Sent off at 1-5 odds Saturday after a win at Del Mar in California and an easy win at Remington Park, the 3-year-old filly by Honor Code (A.P. Indy), out of the Tiznow mare Heywards Park, won her third race in a row and did it fairly easily.
Diodoro claimed Empire Pass for owner Jerry Caroom of Houston, Texas, for $40,000 at Del Mar when she ran second at six furlongs in an open claiming race on Aug. 4 and she hasn’t lost a race since.
Diodoro ran Empire Pass back at Del Mar in another $40,000 claiming race at 6-1/2 furlongs and she won by two open lengths on Sept. 2. A couple of weeks later she was shipped to Remington Park and entered in a first-level allowance race that she won by 4-3/4 lengths, cutting back to six furlongs. She shortened up even farther Saturday, going 5-1/2 furlongs in a second-level allowance and was victorious by one length over a hard charging Rollin Chrome (4-1 second favorite). Rollin Chrome, a 3-year-old filly by Kentucky Derby-winning California Chrome, was rolling strong down the lane and had come out of the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. Empire Pass refused to be passed, however.
Leading jockey Cristian Torres, who has a daylight lead in the standings by double-digits, made every pole a winning one aboard as he saved enough horse late to hold on for the trip to the winner’s circle. Empire Pass set fractions of :22.43 for the first quarter-mile, :46.31 for the half-mile and :58.32 for five-eighths of a mile before finishing the 5-1/2 furlongs in 1:04.67 on the fast track. Rollin Chrome was another 5-3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Redefinition (5-1).
Empire Pass paid $2.60 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show across the board.
Empire Pass earned $21,729 from the $36,300 purse and improved her lifetime record to 12 starts, five wins, two seconds and four thirds for $145,985 in her bankroll.
She was bred in Kentucky by Arturo and Eduardo Vargas. She sold at the Keeneland Yearling Sale in 2020 for a measly $12,000.
Live racing at Remington Park continues Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 12-15. The first post time is 7:07 p.m.
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Tracked by more than 171,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $301 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park features the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby and Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sunday, September 25. Thoroughbred racing continues through December 17 with simulcast racing daily, and a casino that is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
