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Trainer Steve Asmussen won his 19th Chuck Taliaferro Award as Remington Park’s leading trainer following the conclusion of the meet over the weekend. Asmussen’s assistant, Pablo Ocampo, handles the string at Remington as the pair posted 60 wins during the meet while grossing $1,681,617 in earnings. Asmussen was also the only trainer to win four races on one program this season, accomplishing the quadruple on Springboard Mile Night, the final race card of the meet. He had 16 training doubles this season and also posted one training triple.
Asmussen’s first-call rider, 59-year-old Stewart Elliot, earned his second straight Remington Park riding title.
“I’m fortunate really to win this at this stage of my career,” said Elliott. “When you ride for Steve Asmussen, you always have a chance to win. My agent, Scott Hare, does a great job getting me on all these horses. It’s all good. I love it.”
Elliott, who rode Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) to victory in the 2004 GI Kentucky Derby, rode 91 winners this season, 37 more than runner up Floyd Wethy, Jr.
Topping the owner’s standings was Bryan Hawk who won for the first time with 24 victories, 6 ahead of Dick Cappellucci. His earnings topped $827,000.
“That’s the easy part, winning it,” said Hawk. “Staying there is a different story. I need to thank (trainer) Joe Offolter and just a lot of people who are behind me, everybody. My farm, they all work their butts off there. This has been a five-year process for me. I couldn’t be happier.”