UPSET IN THE OKLAHOMA CLASSIC AS J J'S INDY LEADS THROUGHOUT
J J's Indy pulled off the shocker of the Oklahoma Classics program Friday at Remington Park, upsetting 3-5 favorite Pleasant Storm in the biggest race of the night, the $167,375 Classic, presented by The Chickasaw Nation.
Going all the way on the lead from the starting gate to finish at 1-1/16 miles under jockey Dale Cordova for trainer Brent Charlton and owner Marvin Wooldridge of Oklahoma City, J J's Indy established a comfortable pace while unpressured by rivals to have plenty left in the stretch to hold off the expected late rally of Pleasant Storm. The 3-year-old Pleasant Storm tried to make a run from midpack at the top of the stretch but the front-running J J's Indy had too much for the favorite to catch him.
"I knew turning for home, he still had something left," said Cordova. "This horse always makes my meet. He's my favorite horse."
The 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding handled the first quarter-mile in :24.40 seconds and a half-mile in :48.75 seconds before making his six-furlong split in 1:13.01. At that point, J J's Indy had plenty of strength to get home in front by 1-1/2 lengths while crossing the finish in 1:44.57 over the muddy surface.
Pleasant Storm advanced to runner-up status and was 4-3/4 lengths ahead of Motion Approved who was third while Some Quick was along for fourth.
J J's Indy was 9-2 in the wagering and paid $11.40 to win, $4.60 to place and $4.20 to show. The beaten favorite Pleasant Storm paid $2.20 to place and $2.20 to show. Motion Approved returned $6.60 to show.
The exacta (Nos. 9-4) paid $25.20 with the trifecta (9-4-7) paying $428.60. The superfecta (9-4-7-3) paid $1,311.
J J's Indy won his fourth career race from 21 attempts with all four scores taking place at Remington Park. He was second in the Classic a year ago.
The winner's share of $100,425 moved his overall earnings to $209,265. He's a son of Indy Talent from the Dauphin Fabuleux mare Dauphin's Witness.
The Classic win is the second for Charlton overall and third for Cordova.
$80,100 Oklahoma Classics Lassie presented by the Kaw Nation
For the second time this year, 2-year-old gelding Smiles Ahead came out on top in a Juvenile stakes race. Jockey Ken Shino picked a great time to get off the bagel to score his first victory of the season for owner-trainer Wilson Brown of Jones, Okla.
For the second time this year, 2-year-old gelding Smiles Ahead came out on top in a Juvenile stakes race. Jockey Ken Shino picked a great time to get off the bagel to score his first victory of the season for owner-trainer Wilson Brown of Jones, Okla.
Smiles Ahead had won the $75,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows in Iowa on July 17 with Shino in the irons. He took the lead near the top of the stretch and drew off to win by a length in a time of 1:10.64 for the 6 furlongs over a muddy track.
"The race set up just perfect for him," said Shino. "We wanted to let the speed go and set back off of them. He relaxed really well for me. I didn't know who was coming up on me, I could hear him coming. I was just hoping to hold whoever it was off until the wire."
Brown almost took the trifecta in this race all by himself. He also trained second-place finisher Catabout and the fourth-place runner El Don Quixote. Only the show horse, Lookslikeahit, kept Brown from powering home in first, second and third.
Smiles Ahead has now won 3-of-6 starts and finished first or second in 5-of-6 tries. He earned $50,220 for winning this Juvenile and now has bankrolled $129,225.
Smiles Ahead returned $5.60, $3.60 and $2.60 to win, place and show. The 12-8 exacta combo paid $100.20. The trifecta (12-8-9) was worth $510.20 and the superfecta (12-8-9-13) paid $2,343,20.
$83,700 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile presented by Heritage Place
Jockey Cliff Berry moved within one win of Don Pettinger for all-time most Oklahoma Classics Night wins, guiding home Miss Kipling in this 6-furlong sprint to win by a length and a half.
This was Berry's 20th trip to the winner's circle on Oklahoma Classics Night. Pettinger has 21 victories. Miss Kipling had only one horse beat on a muddy track after a quarter of a mile, but began picking up horses at the quarter pole and passed them all, finishing in a time of 1:11.72.
Owners Young Stables and K. and J. Hall of Oklahoma City pocketed $48,060 for the win, Miss Kipling's second in only three starts. She is 2-for-2 against fillies and 2-for-2 with Berry in the saddle.
Lee Young of Young Stables said this filly did not sell in the summer yearling sale and trainer Bret Calhoun told him he really liked her looks. So they purchased her for an undisclosed bargain price, and she has certainly returned that money back to her owners in only three starts. Young said Berry had another commitment in the only race he didn't ride her.
"Everything went well," said Berry. "My entry mate was on the outside of me and had a little more speed so I let her go ahead. She just dug in down the stretch.
I wasn't sure if I was going to catch the other horse or not at the head of the stretch but her class showed. She is a nice filly."
The horse Berry spoke of catching was runner-up and first-time starter Whenislifeaholiday, who went off at 28-1 odds. Another neck back in third was Jazzin' Okie.
Miss Kipling returned $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board. The 1-8 exacta payoff for a $2 wager was $78.80. The $1 trifecta paid $364.30.
$136,500 Oklahoma Classics Distaff presented by Remington Park
Jockey Cliff Berry tied Don Pettinger for all-time most wins in Oklahoma Classics races with 21, as he booted home 1-9 favorite She's All In for owner Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa. Trainer Roger Engel moved into a tie for third for career Oklahoma Classics wins with 6. He is tied with Joe Lucas, Joe Petalino and Wade White.
Longshot Approved Bluff pushed out to a 7-length lead in this race, trying to steal away under jockey Bryan McNeil, but class showed in the end as She's All In blew by the front-runner in the stretch without much urging from Berry.
"At the quarter pole, I had a ton of horse, but I didn't want Peach Brew to catch me," said Berry. Peach Brew was the other half of the Zoellner entry that was bet off the board, but the highest earner in the field at $318,042 did not like the off going and could not even get fourth.
"With the weather, we knew She's All In would like the mud (she was 1-for-1 on an off track)," said Zoellner. "Peach Brew was more a question mark."
She's All In and Peach Brew are half-sisters, both out of the Hickory Ridge mare Georgia OK. She's All In is sired by Include.
Approved Bluff held on for second and Okie Blonde, another Engel-trained horse finished third.
Running time for the mile and sixteenth was 1:42.35. She's All In returned $2.20, $2.10 and $2.10. The $2 exacta was worth $15.60. The trifecta (1-3-4) paid $40.40 and the superfecta (1-3-4-6) with Shania Twang running fourth paid $180.80.
She's All In earned $82,680 for the win and increased her lifetime kitty to $124,597 with three wins in eight starts.
$122,250 Oklahoma Classics Filly and Mare Turf presented by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Skedee, the heavy 1-5 favorite to win the Oklahoma Classics Filly & Mare Turf, presented by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, did not disappoint.
Jockey Chris Landeros handled the chores aboard Skedee, winning his second race of the evening and his first Oklahoma Classics win of the night. Landeros has now won two Oklahoma Classics races, both of them aboard the talented turf-running mare Skedee.
Owned by Robert Poteet and John & Mary Lowder of Ringwood, Okla., Skedee defended her title in the Filly & Mare Turf, having won this race last year by more than 6 lengths.
"She's a dream to ride and is just push button," said Landeros. "The older she gets the more she has been able to control her pace and have a lot of punch down the stretch."
The 5-year-old Oklahoma-bred mare by Sefapiano from the De Sarmiento mare Phuri Dai won this year's edition by 4-½ lengths but looked every big as impressive as she did last year.
"This was a team effort," said Mary Lowder, who also trains the horse. "We are so thankful to have her and thankful for Chris too."
Scarlett Thread rallied for second while the early front-runner In the Band and closer Going Okie hit the wire together to dead-heat for third.
Skedee's winning time for the 7-½ furlongs on a yielding grass course was 1:31.00. She paid $2.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show.
Skedee won for the seventh time in 18 career starts and for the sixth time in 12 attempts at Remington Park. She earned $73,350 for her efforts and has now made $277,986 overall.
$113,200 Oklahoma Classics Sprint presented by Will Rogers Downs Cherokee Casino
Specialfite changed his running style and changed his fortunes in the $113,200 Oklahoma Classics Sprint, presented by Will Rogers Downs Cherokee Casino.
The 6-year-old gelded son of Fistfite usually likes to be part of the early pace but was sixth after a quarter-mile in the Sprint under jockey Scott Young. He then rolled past the front-runners down the lane and held off a stubborn Steal Your Face for the victory by the shortest of noses at the finish for the 15-1 upset.
"I kept getting on this horse every day when we took him to Will Rogers Downs (Claremore, Okla.) and he just kept getting better and better." said Young.
Okie Time was a distant third, 6-1/4 lengths behind the top pair with last year's Sprint winner Herecomesthemannow running fourth. Specialfite paid $33.40 to win, $9.20 to place and $4.40 to show. Shad Seaton trains Specialfite for owner Mary Downing of Pryor, Okla.
From the Academy Award mare Special Merit, Specialfite handled 6 furlongs in 1:10.48 over a muddy surface. The win was the first for all the connections of Specialfite in Oklahoma Classics history.
The exacta (Nos. 7-4) with Steal Your Face was $115.40 while the trifecta (7-4-6) paid $453.40. The superfecta (7-4-6-3) returned $3,257.60.
Specialfite took home $67,920 for his owner and has now won 8-of-19 lifetime starts for earnings of $152,361.
$114,500 Oklahoma Classics Filly and Mare Sprint presented by the Cherokee Nation
Shotgun Gulch won her second Oklahoma Classics stakes event in as many attempts, adding the Filly & Mare Sprint, presented by Cherokee Nation on Friday night at Remington Park.
Owned, trained and bred in Oklahoma by C.R. Trout of Edmond, Shotgun Gulch won for the fifth time in six races at Remington Park, winning the Filly & Mare Sprint under jockey Luis Quinonez at 5-2 odds. The 3-year-old daughter of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch from the Boston Harbor mare Rosieville scored by an authoritative neck over her rival Vertical Vision.
"There was a lot of competition out there," said Trout, "and a lot of good horses. But, I thought she could win with her best race and she did."
Shotgun Gulch turned both barrels on 8-5 favorite Vertical Vision, catching her late in the stretch of the six furlongs while using her late-running style. Vertical Vision held on for second while Miss Natalie was another 2-3/4 lengths back in third. C J Jones ran fourth.
Shotgun Gulch and Vertical Vision have faced each other five times in their careers with the former always finishing ahead of the latter, winning four of those events.
Shotgun Gulch handled the distance in 1:10.02 over the muddy surface. She has won all three starts at six furlongs in her career and all five of her main-track starts at Remington Park. Her only loss in Oklahoma City came over the turf last time out, where she ran third behind two-time Oklahoma Classics Filly & Mare Turf winner Skedee.
Shotgun Gulch returned $7.40 to win, $3.60 to place and $2.60 to show. Vertical Vision, the beaten favorite, paid $3 to place and $2.40 to show. Miss Natalie paid $3.60 to show. The exacta (Nos. 1-2) $15.40 with the trifecta (1-2-3) paying $39.40. The superfecta (1-2-3-7) returned $157.80.
The win with Shotgun Gulch was the second for Trout in the Classics as he also saddled her to score in the Lassie a year ago. Quinonez won his sixth career Oklahoma Classics race, moving him into a tie for fifth-place on the all-time list in the series for the top Oklahoma-bred thoroughbreds.
The 3-year-old Shotgun Gulch earned $68,700 with her sixth career win from 12 attempts. She now boasts $249,346 overall.
$137,800 Oklahoma Classic Turf presented by the OTA, TRAO and RPDC
Strategic Leader engraved his name on the trophy for the $137,800 Oklahoma Classics Turf, presented by the Oklahoma Thoroughbred Association, the Thoroughbred Association of Oklahoma and Remington Park Dissemination Company, for a third consecutive year Friday night at Remington Park.
The 7-year-old gelding posted his three-year Turf hat trick at odds of 5-2 under jockey Benny Landeros.
Owned by H and S Farms (Jim Hinds and Charlie Stockholm) of Tulsa, Okla. and trained by Roger Engel, Strategic Leader showed his ability to adapt as he altered his normal running style in order to have a better chance at success. Normally a late-running closer who has to battle through or around traffic in the final half-mile, Strategic Leader opted to move for the lead much earlier than normal, due to a slow pace being established by In Case of Fire.
In Case of Fire set a quarter-mile fraction of :24.66 seconds followed by a half-mile in :49.90 and six furlongs in 1:14.06.
Landeros, recognizing a slower front-runner, pushed his mount early, asking him to move forward much earlier than he normally does. Strategic Leader began his advance midway through the backstretch and was in position to pounce on In Case of Fire by the time the duo had a quarter-mile left in the one-mile event.
"He has had trouble his last two starts going extremely wide, but Benny rode him perfectly tonight," said Engel.
An Oklahoma-bred by Strategic Mission from the Mr. Leader mare Clogger, Strategic Leader took over at the top of the turf lane and pulled away to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:38.57 over the yielding course. Okietate rallied from the back for second as In Case of Fire held on for third. Centerfield was fourth.
Strategic Leader paid $7.60 to win, $4.20 to place and $3.40 to show. Okietate returned $4.80 to place and $4 to show. In Case of Fire paid $6 to show. The exacta (11-1) returned $36.80 with the trifecta (11-1-3) paying $308.80 and the superfecta (11-1-3-5) good for $1,454,20.
Strategic Leader's owners have believed in their runner strongly enough to supplement him again into the Turf for a fee of $11,500. He was not nominated to the races when he was born so he has been supplemented in all three years that he has won the Turf.
The win was the 10th from 37 career starts for Strategic Leader and his ninth at Remington Park. He earned $82,680 for this year's Turf, pushing his lifetime bankroll to $358,460.
Engel's win with Strategic Leader is his seventh Oklahoma Classics tally. He is now third in the all-time standings behind Donnie Von Hemel (19 wins) and Steve Hobby (10).
Remington Park racing continues Saturday at 6:30pm.
Remington Park is Oklahoma City's only Racetrack & Casino, located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.
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