After winning five races the previous evening, jockey Cliff Berry managed to top himself at Remington Park on the night of Dec. 10 when he won all seven races in which he had mounts.
Berry set a Remington Park standard for wins on one Thoroughbred program and became the first rider since Russell Baze at Bay Meadows in August 2006 to go seven-for-seven on the same card.
Tim Moccasin in 2001 and Richard DePass in 1980 are the only other known jockeys to go seven-for-seven on a single program. Eddie Castro owns the record for most wins on a single card with nine (from 11 mounts) at Calder Race Course in 2005.
The perfect night betters the old Remington Park mark of six wins on a card that Berry shared with Tim Doocy. Berry had won six races on a single program three other times. Doocy was the first jockey to achieve six wins on one card in 1993.
Favored Orphan Brigade in race 10 gave Berry the record. The 9-year-old veteran had won 23 career races coming into the $7,500 claiming event at six furlongs, earning $756,345 in his career. Berry felt his final mount of the evening could give him his seventh win if he was ready to roll.
“I knew he was the best horse in the race. He’s won over $750,000 by doing something right for a long time. The only question was whether he would break well and if he was feeling the part tonight. I knew he could do it.”
Orphan Brigade is owned by Carl Moore Management of Kennedale, Texas and trained by Bret Calhoun.
The seven wins for Berry came aboard Sunset Rider ($6 to win) in race 2, Fleet Shopper ($13.40) in race 3, Chasin Gypsy ($8.60) in race 5, Crossfirehurricane ($5.80) in race 6, Dixie Hearth ($5.40) in race 8, and Going Okie ($11.60) in race 9 before Orphan Brigade ($6.20) in the 10th.
The flurry of 12 wins the past two nights catapulted Berry clear of all rivals in the jockey standings, giving him 73 wins in 357 rides and clinched his 13th Remington Park riding title.
“Everything just fell into place tonight, I’m very happy,” Berry noted. “I’ll come back tomorrow night and try to do it again.”
Berry will be honored on the final night of the meet Dec. 11 after the first race with the Pat Steinberg Memorial Award, signifying the riding champion during the Thoroughbred Season. It is his first title at the Oklahoma City track since 2007.
Remington's 11-race card will start at 5:30 p.m. CST. The $250,000 Springboard Mile, the top 2-year-old race of the season, is the main event.
