Three-time reigning champion trainer in wins, Jason Olmstead, is getting pumped up for the start of the upcoming American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa meet ot Remington Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—FEBRUARY 13, 2024—The nation's three-time reigning champion trainer in wins, Jason Olmstead, is getting pumped up for the start of the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa meet on Thursday, March 7 at Remington Park.

Olmstead, 45, who owns Circle JA Racing Ranch in Pryor, Okla., finished second in the racing standings at Remington Park last year to Dee Keener. He had the most Quarter Horse wins of any trainer here in 2023. The JA represents Jason and his wife Amber, who also is involved in the business.

While still seeking his first training title at Remington Park, Olmstead was honored as the American Quarter Horse Association's Blaine Schvaneveldt Champion Trainer for 2021.

Pryor is about 45 miles east of Tulsa and the JA ranch butts up to Mighty Acres Ranch, which produced a couple of all-time great thoroughbreds – Kip Deville (No. 1 Oklahoma-bred money earner of all-time) and Welder (most wins ever by a horse at Remington Park, with 16).

Amber runs the ranch and hauls horses from Pryor to Oklahoma City during the Remington Park meet and is in charge of the barn at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico when that meet begins. Olmstead will travel to Ruidoso, Canterbury Park in Minnesota and Prairie Meadows in Iowa after the Remington meet and then on to Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., in the fall.

"It was a great meet last year (at Remington)," Olmstead said. "We qualified horses for the Remington Park Futurity and Heritage Place Futurity finals last year. Most of those 2-year-olds will be coming back this year (as 3-year-olds)."

Keener had 37 overall wins in 2023 and Olmstead 35. Jockey Edwin Escobedo, 21, was a major cog in Olmstead's wheel last year and has been since he made a phone call in 2020. Escobedo won his first Remington Park jockey title last year in the process.

"He called me back then just looking for work as a gallop boy," said Olmstead. "He lived in Claremore (just west of Pryor) and someone told me he was a great guy. He went from just riding about 50 horses his first year to winning more than 100 races last year. He is always the first to the barn in the morning and it doesn't matter if you have 10 horses or 50 lined up for him, he is always smiling. He turned 21 last year during the meet, which I was really glad about because I didn't have to pay his hotel bill anymore (big laugh)."

Escobedo won 43 races at Remington Park in 2023 for the title, edging out James Flores (40), a multiple-title holder at this Oklahoma City track, winning three in a row from 2018-2020.

Escobedo won 14 races in his first year of riding, 2020, and his horses earned $154,204. Last year Escobedo won 110 races and had horses' earnings of $2,358,141. His career marks are 1,472 starts, 280 wins, 234 seconds and 220 thirds for a bankroll of $5,470,369. His 110 wins in 2023 was second in the country to Ubaldo Luna's 114.

Olmstead has won 18 graded stakes in his training career and his overall record is 3,934 starts, 659 wins, 577 seconds and 584 thirds for $14,580,121 in horses' earnings. His top horse that ran at Remington Park was Lynnder 16, a mare that was a Grade 1 winner and who earned $874,037 in her racing career.

Some of the horses that Olmstead will bring with him for this meet are Apollitical Payoff, Jess A Rednec Cowboy and Cardiac Cowboy. Apollitical Payoff had a fantastic meet last year here, winning the Mighty Deck Three Stakes and then running second in his next three stakes in a row – the Grade 2 Eastex Stakes, the Grade 1 Dee Raper Sooner State Stakes and the Grade 2 Boyd Morris Memorial Stakes.

Jess A Rednec Cowboy won his Remington Park Futurity trial, finished fourth in the Remington Park Juvenile Stakes and then won the Grade 3 Easy Jet Stakes.

Cardiac Cowboy broke his maiden at Remington last year, then won his Heritage Place Futurity trial and finished sixth in the Grade 1 $1 million Heritage Place Futurity final.

"As far as 2-year-olds go this year, I have some that I feel really good about," he said. "I have quite a few Apollitical Jesses, Flying Cowboy 123s and Favorite Cartels."

They likely won't see the light of day until the Remington Park Futurity trials in the second month of racing in Oklahoma City.

"I don't like to send the 2-year-olds out too early," he said.

Olmstead grew up just south of Olathe, Kan., and said he is a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, "even when they weren't any good." As far as other hobbies or outside interests, he laughed.

"I have 150 head of horses to take care of," Olmstead said. "There is NO away from the track."

Tuesday Workout Tab

It was a light day at Remington Park on the workout tab as only 18 horses received official workout times. There was one bullet worker at 220 yards. Double Dip, a 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelded son of FDD Dynasty, worked :11.75 handily over the fast track.

He is a two-time winner in 13 starts for trainer Victor Ibarra, according to Equibase statistics. Double Dip ran fifth in the Heritage Place Futurity trials in 2022 and then broke his maiden and won an allowance race, both at Fair Meadows in Tulsa.

No horses worked from the gate on Tuesday as the skies cleared with bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid-40s.

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Remington Park has provided more than $344 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 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter HorseThe 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.