by Richard Linihan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, May 31, 2026 – Jockey Roman Cruz picked up the mount on Point Blank Range when he came to Remington Park this meet, and the 3-year-old won all three starts with him up, including Saturday night’s Grade 2, $335,800 Heritage Place Derby.
Cruz had not ridden the horse in the past and isn’t quite sure exactly how he finally got the mount on Point Blank Range.
“I picked up the mount (this meet),” Cruz said. “ I don’t know where his rider was, but he just didn’t show. I guess I would call it a lucky day for me. So I watched the replays of his races and he didn’t like to break. My first time in the Remington Park trials, he didn’t break (fifth of nine) and we didn’t qualify for the finals. Then the next time, in the Heritage Place Derby trials for this race, he didn’t break again (eighth in a field of eight), but he picked it up and won anyway and we qualified.”
Cruz said he decided to try something different in the finals to help Point Blank Range break sharply from the gate.
“He’s not a break horse at all (from the gate), but you know, you work with the horses and find out what is better for them and what is going to win for you,” said Cruz. “I think I also relaxed myself and I think that’s what helped the horse most of all. I didn’t feel any pressure and I didn’t show him any. I just breathed and relaxed and the horse responded. I knew he could do it.”
Point Blank Range, a sophomore American Quarter Horse runner by Tell Cartel, out of the Bodacious Dash mare Fannie Blankers, won his third race in a row after going 0-for-2 in his first two starts as a 2-year-old, running second in a futurity trial at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, and third in his career debut in a trial at the Downs at Albuquerque, N.M. All that appears behind him now as Cruz has him straightened out. He earned $141,036 from the purse for owner 918 Bloodstock of Inola, Okla., who won leading owner for the meet with this, their 12th win. They are one of the owner outfits of four-time top trainer Dee Keener, who also clinched his fourth title in a row with this victory.
In fact, Keener horses ran 1-2 in the Derby as JC Speeding (4-5 favorite) was a full length behind his stablemate winner. JC Speeding is owned by Planefun (Carl Duggins) of Broken Arrow, Okla., and was ridden by James Flores. JC Speeding was a World Champion Paint runner last year, but as a dual-register, he ran as a Quarter Horse this year. Point Blank Range (5-2 second favorite) paid $7.40 to win, $3 to place and $2.20 to show. He stopped the timer for 400 yards in :19.480 on the fast track and scored a 98 speed index in the process.
Argyles (5-1) checked in third, another neck back. The rest of the order of finish was Cyber Blues (23-1) fourth, AB Seis Coronas (15-1) fifth, AJs Wingman (13-1) sixth, Racket Ridge (28-1) seventh, Maverykk (25-1) eighth, and Fire N Speed (61-1) ninth. There was one scratch in the race when Luziana Man was declared from the race early in the day. He was the fastest trial qualifier for this race.
Point Blank Range has now won $159,631 in five starts with three wins, one second and one third. He was bred in Oklahoma by J. Garvan Kelly and J. Lloyd Yother and was purchased for $40,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale in 2024.
One of the sidebars to this win for Roman Cruz is that, going into the night, he had pulled with four wins of top jockey Juan Pulido. At one point in the evening was only three back. He had come from nowhere to make this an amazing race for the jockeys’ title. In the end, Pulido prevailed.
“See, this was a challenge for myself,” Cruz said. “I want to prove to myself that I’m a good rider. And I am a good rider. I was 25 wins behind him at one point. Twenty-five behind. And I was like, ‘Roman, where you at? Where is you at, showing your talent? I put that on my mind and here I am.”
Point Blank Range provided the first win in the Heritage Place Derby for all of his connections.
•••••
Remington Park has provided more than $411 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. The 2026 Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park will begin on August 21. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.