Godz Speed easily wins the second race on Sunday at Remington Park under jockey Aram Martinez. It marked his first victory at Remington Park and he added two more Sunday to make it a riding triple, just one day after he turned 18.

© Dustin Orona Photography

By Richard Linihan

OKLAHOMA CITY–MARCH 23, 2025–Jockey Aram Martinez won for the first time at Remington Park on Sunday, just one day after his 18th birthday. Then he won his second race here, and then he won his third to post a riding triple.

Martinez, who is a son of former Remington Park jockey L. Salvador Martinez, won three races in Oklahoma City for three different trainers – Raymond Gonzalez, Marla Vargas and Cosme Velasquez.

Martinez only began his career as a jockey in 2024 when had seven mounts last fall at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla. On Sunday at Remington, he won the second, fifth and seventh races on the 10-race card.

His first win ever in his career came at Will Rogers Downs on October 20, 2024, aboard a horse named Superstition in a claiming race for Vargas. In fact, in the first three mounts of his career at Will Rogers Downs, his horses ran first, second and third.

Martinez’s first win at Remington Park was in the saddle of a first-time starter out of Gonzalez’ barn – Godz Speed. That is a 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred colt by Freighttrain B, out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Matabari, owned by Double A Ranch of Miami, Florida. The colt had put up an impressive bullet work at Remington Park on Feb. 9 of 11.38, handily from the gate, the fastest of the day of 57 horses that trained at the 220-yard distance.

He then won a training race on Feb. 27. Godz Speed showed he was for real in his career debut, winning by 2-1/2 lengths in a maiden race for juveniles at 300 yards. He earned a speed-index of 93 with a time of :15.424 seconds and was the 2-1 wagering favorite.

Martinez’s next winner was after Vargas gave him a leg up on longshot Jess Hips in the fifth race for maiden claimers. Jess Hips held on by a neck at 300 yards at 26-1 odds and paid $55 to win, $20.20 to place and $9.80 to show. Jess Hips is a 3-year-old Texas-bred filly by Jess Lips, out of the First Down Dash mare Gettingchickywithit, owned by Jorge Arturo Turrubiartes of Oak Point, Texas.

Completing the hat trick for Martinez was his winner in the seventh race when he got The Durango Lights to the finish line first in an allowance race for non-winners of two lifetime.

Martinez’s dad, L. “Sal” Martinez broke the maiden for The Durango Lights last summer at Fair Meadows in Tulsa on July 20, and then Aram got aboard the 4-year-old gelding his next time out when he raced third in his first try against winners at Will Rogers Downs. There was Aram back on top of The Durango Lights at Remington on Sunday, getting the second win for the horse for owner Gildardo Torres of El Reno, Oklahoma.

The Durango Lights won by a half-length at 9-2 odds. He is a 4-year-old gelding by The Marfa Lights from the Wave Carver mare Coronas Tea Sipper, bred in Oklahoma by his owner.

After Sunday, Martinez’s riding mark at Remington Park this meet is nine mounts with three wins and one third. Prior to Sunday’s racing here, with six mounts his horses had earned $4,570. His three winners Sunday, the only horses he rode on the day, earned $38,655.

Remington Park racing continues next week with a Thursday-Sunday schedule, March 27-30. The first race nightly is 6pm with Sunday racing at 4pm. All times are Central.

About Remington Park
Remington Park has provided more than $376 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 year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 American Quarter Horse Season, features the $800,000 (estimated) Remington Park Futurity on Saturday, April 19. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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