Page 30 - July_2023

TRACK CHATTER
THE MONTH IN REVIEWby Jennifer K. Hancock
BRYAN PETTIGREW NAMED VP AND GM FOR PENN ENTERTAINMENT Horse racing industry veteran Bryan
Pettigrew will be returning to Texas to
lead PENN Entertainment’s horse racing operations at Sam Houston Race Park
in Houston and Retama Park in Selma. Pettigrew was previously head of marketing at Sam Houston Race Park in the mid-1990s before joining the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and later the Breeders’ Cup in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was the Chief Marketing Officer before departing in 2019.
A graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a degree in communications, Pettigrew, 54, brings more than 25 years of experience
in entertainment and sports management businesses, most recently as President of Kustom Entertainment, a division of Digital Ally in Kansas City, a diversified company that operated concerts and festivals as well as airplane charter and event ticketing businesses. He also oversaw tournament operations for
the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship for three years. Pettigrew officially joined PENN Entertainment on June 5.
“I was excited when I got the call to join the PENN Entertainment team and head
up their Texas operations,” said Pettigrew. “When I was previously at Sam Houston,
I was able to grow handle and attendance, while educating businesses and a newer fan base about the fun, excitement and economic impact of horseracing in Texas. I’m hoping to bring many of those same principles back and work with our talented management teams to grow our racing businesses in the Lone Star state.”
“I’m thrilled to have Bryan leading our
Texas racing properties,” said Christopher McErlean, Vice President of Racing for PENN Entertainment. “Horse racing in Texas has
plenty of challenges but Bryan has a strong understanding of the horse racing business
with his previous high-profile marketing and sponsorship roles within the industry and has maintained strong connections to many Texas racing stakeholders. He also brings a wide array of
experience from outside of racing in professional sports management and special events which should positively impact our properties.”
Dwight Berube, a key member of the Sam Houston executive team since the track’s opening in 1994, and Vice President/General Manager of the property and its subsidiaries since 2017, will be retiring in early June. “Dwight has been an invaluable member of the Sam Houston team and family since Day 1 and has navigated the property through some extreme challenges. I want to thank him for all his efforts to keep Sam Houston as a leader in Texas horse racing over the years,” said McErlean.
REMINGTON PARK CROWNS LEADING HORSEMEN
The Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season finished with a tight race for the horsemen titles with just a few wins separating the competitors in every category. All three winners earned titles for the first time at the Oklahoma track – jockey Edwin Escobedo, trainer Dee Keener and owner Tom Maher.
Escobedo outlasted three-time American Quarter Horse Association World Champion and three-time Remington Park top jock James Flores by three wins, finishing with
43 victories. Flores trailed Escobedo by four wins going into Champions Night June 3, and despite Escobedo not winning a single race, he was able to survive any kind of Flores flurry. Flores was able to get one trip to the winner’s circle on the final Saturday of the meet, but
it wasn’t enough. Roman Cruz and Francisco Calderon tied for third with 36 wins each.
In the jockeys’ money race, Calderon began Champions Night in second place at $946,728 for horses’ earnings and won five races on the Saturday card and ran second
in the biggest race of the year – the $1.2 million Heritage Place Futurity for earnings of $629,646 in one night. That propelled
him to the front with $1,576,374 in total earnings for the meet. He finished more than a half-million dollars ahead of runner-up Juan Pulido at $1,269,436. The only other jock
with more than $1 million earned was third- place finisher Escobedo at $1,131,409.
Keener, the all-time winningest Paint trainer in that genre, needed his Paints, Appaloosas, Quarter Horses and all their wins to defeat the conditioner that Escobedo rides first-call for, Jason Olmstead. Keener of Inola, Oklahoma, squeaked by Olmstead of Pryor, Oklahoma, with 37 wins to 35.
It would have taken somewhat of a miracle for Olmstead to overtake Keener on closing night. Olmstead only had three horses entered on Champions Night, and they were all in
the same race, the Heritage Place Futurity. Keener had 11 entered and held a 36-35
lead over Olmstead. When all was said and done, Keener had one win on Saturday and Olmstead was shut out in the futurity. Eddie Willis finished third with 27 wins.
The win in the final race of the meet with San Lencho taking the $1.2 million Heritage Place Futurity on Champions Night pushed Wayne Melton past Olmstead and Keener for the earnings lead. The top three trainers in earnings were Melton, $1,204,504; Olmstead, $1,110,678; and Keener, $1,011,608.
In the owners’ race, it was just as tight as the other two races with the chase coming down to the Battle of the Dakotas. Tom Maher of Pierre, South Dakota, finished two victories ahead of Brenda Reiswig of Bismarck, North Dakota, 13 to 11. Maher didn’t have to sweat
it out on Champions Night. When Tempting Scout won her career debut on Friday in the 11th race, it gave Maher the title as top owner. Olmstead was Maher’s main trainer, and Escobedo rode Tempting Scout to clinch the title. Double A Ranch, Dunn Ranch and Jeff Adams, tied for third with nine wins each.
The top three owners by money earned were Rogelio Marquez, $538,901; Reiswig, $446,517; and Dunn Ranch, $441,111.
Remington Park has provided more than $320 million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. The Oklahoma City track will begin the 2023 Thoroughbred Season
on August 18. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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28 SPEEDHORSE July 2023