Mister Omaha is a two-time stakes winner, and his record makes him a standout on class Tuesday in the $50,000 Welder Stakes at Will Rogers Downs.
The six-furlong race is for 3-year-olds bred in Oklahoma. It drew a field of five that includes a capable Sam Houston shipper in John.
The Welder, which honors the $1.2 million earner at his home track of Will Rogers, is slotted as the fifth race Tuesday.
Mister Omaha won both stakes offerings for his division last season at Remington Park, taking the Oklahoma Classics Night Juvenile in October and moving to two turns one start later to capture the Don McNeill in November. Mister Omaha won those stakes by a combined margin of 10 1/2 lengths. He then moved into open company for the $300,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 13 at Remington, finishing seventh in a race that has become a key one. The first two finishers, Coal Battle and Speed King, have combined to win the first three Kentucky Derby points races at Oaklawn – the Smarty Jones, Southwest, and Rebel.
As for Mister Omaha, he has since been working at Will Rogers for his first start at 3. His drills include five furlongs in 1:01.40 in his most recent work March 9. Mister Omaha has natural speed and could get a tracking trip behind such rivals as Simmeron, Tzedakah, and John. The horses are all drawn to his inside, as Mister Omaha will start from post 5.
Luis Quinonez invades from Oaklawn to ride Mister Omaha for trainer Joe Offolter. Bryan Hawk, who was the leading owner last season at Remington, bred and owns Mister Omaha. The horse is by Omaha Beach.
John is moving back into Oklahoma-bred company after winning an allowance at Sam Houston. He set the pace en route to a 4 3/4-length win, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 69 that he earned is the best last-race number in the field Tuesday.
John tends to break on top in his races and figures to again be prominent Tuesday. He has drawn outside of his primary pace rivals in landing post 3. Freddy Manrrique has the mount for Black Hawk Stable and trainer Austin Gustafson. John is by the sprint stakes winner Black Bear and out of the five-time winning mare Aunt Sissy.
Simmeron, who breaks from the rail, is coming off a wire-to-wire win in an entry-level allowance sprint at Will Rogers. Tzedakah, who drew post 2, was a front-running winner of a $30,000 conditioned claiming sprint in his last start Dec. 7 at Remington.
A hot pace might suit Lucky Tapiture, who closed for fourth in an entry-level allowance at a mile last out at Sam Houston. The start was his first since Nov. 1, and he would seem to have reason to move forward Tuesday. Alex Birzer has the mount for trainer Mark Lee.
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