The 2020 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season drew to a close on May 30, celebrating a successful 50-date run. The season saw familiar faces atop the jockey and trainer standings, with James Flores and Eddie Willis each securing another championship title. Flores claimed his third consecutive leading jockey award, while Willis earned his second straight leading trainer title. This season also marked a first for owner Jose E. Guzman, who ascended to the top of the owner standings.
James Flores Secures Third Consecutive Jockey Title
James Flores, the reigning 2019 American Quarter Horse Association Champion Jockey, continued his dominance at Remington Park by clinching the riding title for the third year in a row. Based in Claremore, Oklahoma, Flores achieved an impressive 62 wins from 262 mounts, boasting a win rate of 24%. His consistent performance was further highlighted by 37 second-place finishes and 32 third-place runs, resulting in an exceptional in-the-money rate of 50%.
Flores’s notable victories included the Grade 1 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship aboard Dexxter on the season’s final night. He also piloted Aint She Tempting to victory in the Oklahoma Futurity in March and guided Eye Work For You to win the Remington Park Futurity in April. A near-triple futurity win was narrowly missed when he finished second with Aint She Tempting in the Heritage Place Futurity, the season’s last race.
Following Flores in the jockey standings were Cody Smith with 34 wins and Juan Pulido with 30 victories. Flores also led all jockeys in mount earnings, accumulating $1,731,673, and was the sole jockey to surpass the million-dollar mark for the season.
Eddie Willis Claims Second Consecutive Trainer Title
Trainer Eddie Willis continued his impressive streak by winning his second consecutive trainer title with 37 victories. This win further solidified his all-time lead in meet championships at Remington Park, bringing his total to 11 titles, with his first secured in 2004.
Operating out of Caney, Oklahoma, Willis demonstrated a 16% win rate, with his trainees securing 37 wins from 236 starts. His horses also achieved 52 second-place finishes and 30 third-place runs, contributing to an in-the-money rate of 50%.
Willis’s significant wins this season included the Oklahoma Derby in March with Love Is Everything V. On the final night of the season, he celebrated victories with Jess B Glory in the Grade 1 Junos Request Stakes and Facing The Fire in the Easy Jet Stakes.
The trainer standings saw Dee Keener in second place with 29 wins, followed by Guillermo Valdivia in third with 26 victories. Willis also topped the trainer earnings chart with $1,131,137, being the only trainer to exceed $1 million in stable earnings.
Jose E. Guzman Earns First Leading Owner Title
Jose E. Guzman of Donna, Texas, celebrated a career milestone by clinching his first leading owner title at Remington Park. A highlight of his successful season was the victory of Eye Work For You in the season’s richest race.
Eye Work For You’s triumph in the $891,900 Remington Park Futurity in April was a key moment for Guzman. His horses achieved 14 wins from 35 starts, yielding a 40% win rate. Furthermore, Guzman’s runners secured seven second-place finishes and two thirds, resulting in an impressive in-the-money rate of 66%.
Darling Farms of Lamont, Oklahoma, ranked second among owners with 10 wins, while Regina Laymon of Neosha Falls, Kansas, secured third place with eight victories. Guzman also led in owner earnings, accumulating $610,408. Bobby Cox of Fort Worth, Texas, followed in earnings with $430,494, largely due to Shott Gun’s win in the Grade 1, $826,260 Heritage Place Futurity on the season’s final night.
Remington Park, with a strong following of over 163,000 fans on Facebook and more than 10,400 Twitter followers, has contributed over $242 million to the State of Oklahoma’s general education fund since the casino’s opening in 2005. The park is conveniently located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, within the Oklahoma City Adventure District.
