For Immediate Release – Oklahoma City, OK – September 20, 2024 – Tap the Dot showed his love for the Remington Park turf course in winning the $50,000 Red Earth Stakes on Friday night for the second year in a row.
The 6-year-old gray gelded son of Moro Tap, out of the Langfuhr mare Dot Product, had not won a race since having his picture in the winner’s circle here last year on Sept. 22 when he won the Red Earth Stakes. There must have been kicking of joy from the front and back of the horse trailer as Tap the Dot returned to Oklahoma City this summer.
It was like he never left. Last year, he won by 1-1/2 lengths in this race and on Friday night, the gelding just got up by a head over a front-running Eakly on the rail at the wire. Leading rider Stewart Elliott got Tap the Dot’s head past the line first after Eakly had led the race every step of the way except the last. There was a reason it was closer, according to Elliott, who got the win for leading trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Asmussenequine.com and Martin Riley of Laredo, Texas.
“I was confident going into the race; that’s easy to say now,” said Elliott. “But I wanted to cut the corner (turning for home), but couldn’t find a spot and then I knew when I finally got an opening, he would have to go and he did. I think he’s back.”
After leaving Remington Park last year, Tap the Dot had two third-place finishes on the grass at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas, followed by a poor sixth-place finish on the dirt in Houston before running fifth, beaten eight lengths on the turf at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. He just needed to cross the Red River going north on Interstate-35 to get his mojo back.
Riley might have been the most nervous of any owner seen at Remington this meet. He did his best 100-yard sprint on the track plaza with Tap the Dot to finish the race.
“He is fun to watch,” said Riley. “When he is right, he will go get them. I think I ran the last sixteenth of a mile with him. My lovely wife Debbie travels with me to watch this horse and it makes it that much more special.”
Tap the Dot won last year in a time of 1:31.32 for the 7-1/2 furlongs on turf and won the same race this year in 1:31.56 over the firm course. He was sent off as a lukewarm 7-2 third favorite after his subpar showings in the Lone Star State. He paid $9 to win, $6.60 to place and $4 to show. It was the second win in this stakes series for all the connections.
Eakly, running for the first time as a gelding according to Equibase, had his foot in the floorboard from the gate leading the race by three lengths down the backstretch ahead of Mind Bolt and Rowdy Rascal. Eakly set interior fractions of :24.25 for the first quarter-mile, :49.10 for the half-mile, and 1:13.32 for three-quarters of a mile.
The final order of finish after the two photo-finishers were Good Swimmer (21-1) third, Rowdy Rascal (16-1) fourth, Number One Dude (5-2) fifth, Mind Bolt (4-1) sixth, Inca Empire (20-1) seventh and Country Caper (9-1) eighth.
Tap the Dot earned $30,000 for the trip to the winner’s circle and improved lifetime to 20 starts, seven wins, five seconds and three thirds for $277,560 in earnings. He was bred in Oklahoma by Jinger Clemmer. Riley purchased him, amazingly for $5,700 at the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale of 2019 after he didn’t reach his reserve price of $5,000 at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling and Mixed Sale that same year.
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Remington Park has provided more than $357 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 presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 13. The Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby takes place on Sunday, Sept. 29. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
