Mister Omaha is on pace for a start in the $250,000 Iowa Derby next month at Prairie Meadows after the multiple stakes winner turned in a strong recent work at his base of Lone Star Park. The 1 1/16-mile stakes is July 5.
“That’s our plan if everything goes good between now and then,” said Joe Offolter, who trains Mister Omaha for his breeder, Bryan Hawk.
Mister Omaha breezed a half-mile in 50 seconds last Sunday and from there galloped out a mile in 1:40 and change, Offolter said. Jockey Luis Quinonez, who has the mount in the Iowa Derby, was aboard Mister Omaha.
“I had Luis have him go along pretty easy and had him gallop on out,” Offolter said. “We’ll have one more good work and ship up” to Iowa.
Mister Omaha will enter off a fourth-place finish in the $300,000 Texas Derby on May 26 at Lone Star. He rallied in the slop and ended up five lengths behind winner Instant Replay.
“He always breaks good, but that day he just didn’t get away,” Offolter said. “I really feel like if we get away from the gates good, we would have been right there. I really think that. He ran a really good race, took a lot of the mud.”
Mister Omaha is a son of Omaha Beach. His winning dam, Cosmic Code, is a half-sister to Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks winner Bonny South.
“He’s really matured,” Offolter said of Mister Omaha. “Before, he wasn’t as relaxed. Now, he’ll go out there and stand and watch horses [train] for 15 minutes. Just a really good mind. I don’t think distance is going to hurt him where we want to run him. I think he’ll get stronger the further we go.”
Mister Omaha had won back-to-back stakes for Oklahoma-breds at Will Rogers Downs heading into the Texas Derby. One of those wins came by 18 1/4 lengths in a mile race in which he was the 127-pound highweight and spotted his rivals notable weight. He’s also had stakes success at Remington Park.
Offolter has already had stakes success this meet at Prairie Meadows, where Faith Alone won the $50,000 Prairie Rose on June 6. She’s being considered for the $125,000 Chicken Fried Stakes for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf June 28 at Lone Star. Offolter also has Take Me Serious under consideration for the race, which would be a rare turf start for the multiple stakes winner.
“I’m looking at one of them in that spot, probably,” he said. “One or the other.”
Faith Alone is a winner on turf. She is a daughter of Liam’s Map.
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