Mister Omaha and Miss Code West both conquered new divisions Friday night at Remington Park to add to their growing win totals in the annual Oklahoma Classics stakes program.
Mister Omaha has now won two Classics stakes after romping against older horses in the $175,000 Classics Cup Handicap, while main track specialist Miss Code West pushed her total to three with a neck win in the $130,000 Distaff Turf.
The races were among eight divisional stakes for Oklahoma-breds. The races were worth more than $1 million.
Mister Omaha, who won last year’s Juvenile, was a 9 3/4-length winner of the Classics Cup. Miss Code West had won the Lassie and Distaff Handicap in prior years and was making a rare appearance on the grass in the Distaff Turf.
Mister Omaha ($2.60) remained unbeaten in Oklahoma-bred stakes company from five such starts after he set the pace and went on to win the Classics Cup. The start was his first against older horses, and he was the 125-pound highweight off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby.
Mister Omaha put up fractions of 23.73 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.76 for the half-mile and 1:11.43 for six furlongs before covering the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.11.
“He was turning for home and I didn’t hear anybody coming and I hadn’t squeezed him yet,” winning rider Luis Quinonez said in an interview broadcast by Remington. “And when I squeezed him, he went forward. I said, ‘Oh, they’re in trouble.’”
Joe Offolter trains Mister Omaha.
“He’s answered the bell about every time,” Offolter said in an interview broadcast by Remington. “Luis just rides him with a lot of confidence. That really helps the horse, just gives him all the confidence in the world.”
Winters Lion finished second, while it was another half-length back in third to Number One Dude.
Bryan Hawk bred and owns Mister Omaha, who is by Omaha Beach. The horse was one of three stakes winners on the card for Hawk and Offolter. Mister Omaha also was one of four winners on the card bred by Hawk.
“He’s always been pretty special,” Hawk said in an interview broadcast by Remington. “I want to thank all my crew, from Joe Offolter’s barn, to Red Earth Training Center, to my breeding farm, where this one was born. Everybody just works together and I can’t do anything without them.”
Hawk and Offolter started their run of success with Take Me Serious ($2.60), who was a 4 3/4-length winner of the $145,000 Distaff. She tracked fractions of 24.24 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.30 for the half-mile and 1:12.68 for six furlongs, before taking over in the stretch and covering the one mile, 70 yards in 1:41.84.
Jockey Richard Eramia was aboard. It was announced that he won the Oklahoma Classics Distaff for the fourth time Friday.
Take Me Serious is a daughter of Munnings who was bred by Hawk.
Hawk homebred Breakable Code was a neck winner over Connors Outlaw in the $130,000 Sprint. Walter De La Cruz was aboard for Offolter. Breakable Code ($4.80) rallied from off the pace to cover six furlongs in 1:10.60. He is a son of Code West.
Distaff Turf
Hawk’s other winner as a breeder came with Miss Code West, who races for Jeffry and Julie Puryear and is trained by Kevin Scholl.
Miss Code West was making a rare start on the grass in the Distaff and, after setting fractions of 24.23 for the opening quarter, 49.11 for the half-mile and 1:13.08 for six furlongs, was engaged by Talkin Cadee. The pair fought to the wire, with Miss Code West covering the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:43.01.
Miss Code West ($2.20) is a daughter Code West and has won the last two Horse of the Meet titles at Remington.
Triple for Wethey
Jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. was aboard Miss Code West and had two other stakes wins on the night. In the $100,000 Lassie, he guided Cyndi Loper ($13.80) to a 4 3/4-length win over Lanaluah. The winner covered six furlongs for 2-year-old fillies in 1:11.01. Francisco Bravo trains the daughter of Atreides for Pam Grossman.
Wethey’s other stakes win on the card came aboard Country Caper ($13.80) in the $130,000 Turf. He was a half-length winner over Eakly, and it was another half-length back in third to Tap the Dot. Bravo trains Country Caper, who is by Excaper, for Lori Bravo.
Double for Trout
C.R. Trout, a breeder, owner and trainer, teamed with jockey David Cabrera for two stakes wins. The pair won the $100,000 Juvenile with Royalamerican ($6.80). He was a 3 1/2-length winner over Lil Elvis and covered six furlongs in 1:11.16.
The other winner on the card for the men was Letta’s Legacy ($3.20), who was a head winner over Nice Neighbor in the $130,000 Distaff Sprint. The winner set fractions of 21.73 seconds for the opening quarter in 44.64 for the half-mile before winning the six-furlong race for fillies and mares in 1:10.54. She is a daughter of Practical Joke.
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