Aint She Tempting goes for second major win at meet

The first major racing event with ontrack spectators since the coronavirus pandemic struck is set for Saturday night, when Remington Park closes out its Quarter Horse meet with a card of nine stakes worth more than $1.7 million.

The Oklahoma City track will be limited to 25 percent occupancy, and there are a number of protocols in place that patrons can find on the track’s website.

Those on hand will get a frontrow seat to the Grade 1, $826,260 Heritage Place Futurity, which drew rising star Aint She Tempting. Other major stakes on the card include the Grade 2, $232,000 Heritage Place Derby; the Grade 1, $210,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational led by 2018 All American Futurity winner Apocalyptical Jess; and the Grade 1, $85,000

Junos Request.

Remington, which reopened to spectators on May 21, will put on a 12-race program. It starts at 5 p.m. Central.

Aint She Tempting will be a strong favorite in the Heritage Place Futurity at 350 yards. She was the fastest overall qualifier after 20 trials run over two days and is seeking her second major stakes win at the meet behind the Grade 2, $373,825 Oklahoma Futurity on March 21.

But perhaps even more impressive than those credentials was the manner in which she won her trial on May 9 at Remington. She was up by a length and a half after the first point of call and went on to win by an outstanding margin of 4 1/4 lengths. Aint She Tempting

covered 350 yards on a fast track in 17.57 seconds. The second-fastest overall qualifying time was 17.64 on May 8 and the second-fastest qualifying time on the same card as Aint She Tempting’s race was 17.67.

Aint She Tempting is a Utahbred daughter of Tempting Dash who races for the Oklahoma-based partners Levings Racing and Dunn Ranch. She’s won 2 of 3 starts and is trained by Monty Arrosa, who is new this year to Remington. Arrosa is a 47-year-old native of Idaho who was the country’s thirdleading Quarter Horse trainer in wins in 2018, according to the publicity department at Remington.

James Flores, the leading rider at Remington who was the American Quarter Horse Association’s champion jockey of 2019, is the regular rider of Aint She Tempting and again has the mount from post 2.

The second-fastest overall qualifiers for the Heritage Place Futurity were Coronados Lady and Shott Gun, who both were half-length trial winners May 8 at Remington. The second-fastest qualifier on the same May 9 card as Aint She Tempting was Instygator, who has won his two races by a combined margin of 5 1/4 lengths. Ricky Ramirez has the mount from post 6.

In the Heritage Place Derby at 400 yards, the Arrosa-trained Inaugurator will attempt to win his fourth straight race. He breaks from the rail under Ricky Ramirez. Inaugurator is 2 for 2 at Remington, having won a conditioned allowance in March and his trial for the Heritage Place Derby on May 10. He was previously based in Southern California.