Here’s a rewritten version of the content in my own words:
Sea
These days, it’s not just Mother Nature that interferes with races at seaside tracks — sometimes, everyday life does too. On Saturday morning, police activity on the Five Freeway north of Oceanside forced a complete shutdown of the freeway in both directions. The situation began with a police chase originating in Buena Park, Los Angeles, which ended with the suspect hiding in a brushy area of Camp Pendleton, refusing to surrender. The highway was closed around 2:30 a.m. PT and remained shut for about seven hours before lanes started reopening.
Unsurprisingly, this caused massive traffic delays in both directions. Anyone familiar with Camp Pendleton knows there are no exits along this section, leaving drivers stuck in their cars for hours. This disruption affected the horse racing schedule at Del Mar Racetrack. Horses, jockeys, trainers, and other team members who traveled from morning workouts at Santa Anita found themselves caught in the chaos. Two horses, Majestic Palisades and Typhoon Tommy, missed the deadline to receive Lasix — required by CHRB at least four hours before a race — and were scratched from the second race.
An hour before the first race, only five jockeys were present in the jockey room, although seven horses were set to run. Fortunately, all jockeys arrived in time, avoiding injuries or cancellations. Fans and participants reportedly arrived at Del Mar hours after the races began at 12:30 p.m., enduring up to four hours in traffic. Kurt Huber of Del Mar noted that a typically 30-minute drive from San Clemente stretched to four hours. The California Highway Patrol finally reopened all lanes at 3:30 p.m.
Remington Park
Leading jockey at Remington Park, Ramon Vasquez, had a slow week without wins until Saturday night’s fifth race. After that, he scored consecutive victories in the sixth race, moving him up to 5th place on Remington Park’s all-time winners list, surpassing Pat Steinberg.
Vasquez rode Regal Roomer, a $6.20 favorite, in the fifth race for trainer Austin Gustafson and Forge Ahead Stables’ owner Kevin Kuta. This victory tied him with Steinberg’s career total of 727 wins. However, Vasquez quickly pulled ahead by winning the sixth race with Choice Not Chance, a $3 horse, cementing his position ahead of Steinberg. Austin Gustafson trains both horses and owns Forge Ahead Stables.
Steinberg tragically died in a 1993 car accident at age 31 but left a lasting legacy with nine consecutive riding titles at Remington Park from 1989 to 1993, during when racing was held in spring and fall at the Oklahoma City track. A statue honoring Steinberg stands in Paddock Gardens at Remington Park. He was a prominent stakes-winning jockey who rode notable horses including 1991 Remington Park Derby winner Queen’s Gravy, as well as No More Hard Times, Peaked, and Darrell.
Like Steinberg, Vasquez is a decorated jockey with multiple major stakes wins, having ridden stars such as Lone Rock, 2023 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Practical Move, and 2021 West Virginia Derby (G3) winner Mr. Wireless. Vasquez has maintained a strong performance this year, increasing his total wins to 66, well ahead of the second-place jockey David Cabrera’s 39 victories.
This story was first reported by The Paulick Report on November 24, 2025, and originally appeared in their News section.
Fan Take:
This update highlights the unpredictable challenges horse racing faces, from unexpected traffic snarls disrupting race day to the ongoing legacy battles among jockeys. For horse racing fans, it showcases the sport’s resilience and evolving stories, reminding us why every race day and every win carries meaningful history and excitement.
