Oklahoma Derby Winner Headed Home for Vacation Time

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -– Fiddlers Afleet, the winner of the 2009 $400,000 Oklahoma Derby presented by NEWS 9, departed from Remington Park Monday morning and is headed east for some time off.

Trainer Michael Hushion was extremely pleased with the way everything turned out for the 3-year-old colt by Northern Afleet from the Quiet American mare American Tango. “He ran a great race and Channing (Hill, jockey) rode a smart race and really used his head. He didn’t move too soon and let the horse pull him up to the leader.

“Massone made a strong run and he’s a proven horse. In the last eighth of a mile is when you really find out what your horse has and how they handled the shipping, change in training schedule and different track. We couldn’t be happier… it was a very nice win.”

Fiddlers Afleet, a New York-bred, boarded a van bound for Keeneland on Monday morning. From there, he’ll return to his trainer’s barn at Belmont Park.

“We flew the horse out on FedEx but decided to take our time coming back with him. We’ll have him stop in Keeneland for a couple of days to break the long trip up and then he’ll come home.”

For future plans, Hushion believes Fiddlers Afleet probably won’t race until he’s a 4-year-old in 2010. “He’s earned some time off, at least a couple of months.”

Fiddlers Afleet was accompanied at Remington Park for the Oklahoma Derby by Hushion assistant Graham Wolfron and joined on race day by owner Marc Ferrell of Los Angeles.

“We will definitely look at the Remington Park schedule again in 2010. The owner and my assistant couldn’t say enough about how they were treated and spoke highly of the event.”

The 2009 Remington Park Thoroughbred season continues thru Dec. 14. Normal first race is 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday afternoon racing runs at 1:30 p.m. with Monday night racing at 6:30 p.m.