Oklahoma City, OK, September 29, 2024 – Multiple graded stakes-winning jockey Drayden Van Dyke exhibited why he has been able to win more than 60 graded stakes in his career, calming the nerves of Lorenz in warmups and then winning the $75,000 Remington Green Stakes on Sunday.
It was the first stakes win for Van Dyke in Oklahoma City since he won aboard Include Betty in the 2015 Remington Park Oaks for trainer Thomas Proctor and owners Brereton C. Jones and Timothy Thornton. Van Dyke may best be remembered for winning with Improbable, one of the top horses of his time, in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park in California. Those in this part of the country recall his victory in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap with City of Light in Hot Springs, Ark., in 2018 for Tulsa, Okla., owners Suzanne and Bill Warren.
On Sunday, however, they will remember Van Dyke as a rider who knows how to settle his horse pre-race and then get him to relax well back before putting in a late kick to win the Remington Green race at 1-1/8 miles on the turf course. Lorenz, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., came out before the post parade and was a horse that did not look happy. Van Dyke got him to calm down enough to join the post parade and was loaded first into the gate in the field of older grass horses. Van Dyke said he was much more collected during the running of the race.
“He’s a cool horse,” Van Dyke said. “He’ll just sit back for you and doesn’t pull on you to go. When I did ask him, he gave me a good punch.”
Lorenz, by Forestry, out of the Amigoni (IRE) mare Baez (BRZ), was nearly dead last coming down the backstretch in the field of eight. He didn’t take over in the race until late stretch before pulling away by 1-1/2 lengths as a 5-1 outsider.
Lorenz covered the 1-1/8 miles in 1:51.94 over the firm going. It was the first win in the Remington Green for all the connections of the horse. The top three front-runners early in the race all faded to the last three spots in the race as Lorenz made his run, passing nearly everyone in the race to win. He cut into interior fractions of :23.57 for the first quarter-mile, :48.10 for the half-mile, 1:13.59 for three-quarters of a mile and 1:39.36 for the mile.
When asked if he had any doubts whether Lorenz could get the distance, Van Dyke said, “No, Saffie knows what he’s doing; I’m just the pilot. I know I enjoy riding his horses.”
Fuerteventura (3-1) was the Green runner-up with Spoiler (16-1) another 1-1/2 lengths back in third. The remaining order of finish was Red Run (4-1) fourth, Ocelot (8-5) fifth, Unload (7-1) sixth, Without a Trace (36-1) seventh and Mor Victory (17-1) eighth and last.
Lorenz paid $13.20 to win, $7 to place and $4.20 to show. He earned $45,000 for owner Daniel Alonso of Miami, Fla., moving him past the $100,000 mark in earnings lifetime. He improved his running line to 16 starts, six wins, four seconds and three thirds with earnings of $124,771. He was bred in Brazil by Haras Cifra.
Remington Park racing continues Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 2-5 with first post time of 6:30 p.m. CDT nightly.
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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 Oklahoma Classics Night of stakes racing for top Oklahoma-breds takes place on Friday, Oct. 18. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
