Miss Code West and jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. won their ninth stakes race together Friday night, while setting a stakes record in the $50,000 Bob Barry Memorial at Remington Park.
Miss Code West covered 7 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:27.91. She lowered the mark of 1:28.19 set in the 2014 running by Ridgeofstone, according to a press release from Remington.
The Bob Barry Memorial was one of three Oklahoma-bred turf stakes on the card. Dark Afternoon won the $50,000 Cliff Berry Turf Sprint and Excaping the Blues accounted for the $50,000 Red Earth.
Miss Code West ($7.60) was always prominent, as 4-5 favorite Take Me Serious set fractions of 23.41 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.14 for the half-mile. A battle ensued through the stretch, with Miss Code West winning by a half-length over Take Me Serious. It was another three lengths back in third to Maybe Dolcie.
“She knew she was a winner for about the final sixteenth of a mile,” Wethey told Remington. “I know Code and she loves this kind of competition.”
Wethey, who has ridden Miss Code West throughout her career, was aboard for Jeffry and Julie Puryear and trainer Kevin Scholl.
Miss Code West has now won 11 of 15 starts for earnings of $504,717. She is a daughter of Code West.
Double for Diego
Jockey Iram Diego had a stakes double on the card, as he was aboard both Dark Afternoon and Excaping the Blues.
Dark Afternoon won the Cliff Berry Turf Sprint by a length in what was his third time to win the stakes that was renamed this year for Remington Park’s all-time leading jockey. Berry is now retired.
Dark Afternoon ($3) won over Eakly, while it was another three lengths back in third to Connors Outlaw. Dark Afternoon covered five furlongs on firm ground in a blazing 55.49 seconds.
Alex Hartman trains Dark Afternoon for Black Hawk Stable. He is a son of Black Bear.
Excaping the Blues ($7.40) was a three-quarter length winner over Country Caper in the Red Earth. It was another head back in third to Tap the Dot.
Excaping the Blues led throughout, setting fractions of 23.41 seconds for the opening quarter, 46.91 for the half-mile and 1:10.91 for six furlongs before finishing up 7 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:28.52.
Francisco Bravo trains the son of Excaper for the estate of Michael Grossman.
“My big regret is that the owner passed away before he could see all this,” Bravo told Remington.
Grossman died in July at 83, according to an online obituary. Excaping the Blues was winning his fourth straight race Friday.
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