So There She Was became a stakes winner on Sunday night when she tracked pacesetter Lemon Zest and went on to a 2 3/4-length win in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks.
It was another nose back in third to Seraphia.
The 1 1/16-mile race was part of the Oklahoma Derby Day card of eight stakes. The races were worth $1.3 million. Bracket Buster won the Oklahoma Derby.
In the Remington Park Oaks, So There She Was ($9) moved into contention soon after the start as 2-5 favorite Lemon Zest took the field through fractions of 24.35 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.60 for the half-mile and 1:12.38 for six furlongs. So There She Was took after the leader in the stretch, established the advantage soon afterward, and covered the distance on a fast track in 1:45.56.
“When I asked her the last quarter, she responded right away,” winning rider Ramon Vazquez said in an interview broadcast by Remington. “She gave me everything she had.”
So There She Was invaded from Southern California for trainer Doug O’Neill. She entered the Remington Park Oaks off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines at Del Mar. The Munnings filly races for Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis.
So There She Was is now 2 for 7 for earnings of $282,620. Last year, she ran third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.
Clever Trevor
Essential Time overcame a demanding trip to win his maiden in the $150,000 Clever Trevor for 2-year-olds. He was a 1 1/4-length winner over Canned Heat, while it was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Fuel.
The Clever Trevor, at 6 1/2 furlongs, is the local steppingstone to the Springboard Mile, a Kentucky Derby points race in December.
Essential Time ($26.20) broke last and trailed through fractions of 21.69 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.08 for the half-mile. Essential Time was caught behind horses coming into the stretch, found room in the lane, split horses late, and covered the distance in 1:18.69.
“I was eating a lot of dirt and I was just hoping to get there,” winning rider Iram Diego said in an interview broadcast by Remington.
Danny Pish trains Essential Time, who was making his second career start following a runner-up finish in a maiden special weight sprint in his debut Sept. 6 at Remington.
Essential Time is a son of Essential Quality and races for Duffy’s Racing Stable and Heider Racing Stables.
David M. Vance
Surveillance rallied past Mikel W for a 1 1/4-length win in the $100,000 David M. Vance. It was another length back in third to Ryvit.
The David M. Vance was a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.
Surveillance ($4.40) was making his first start since being claimed for $75,000 out of a sprint at Saratoga. The 8-year-old is a son of Constitution. Jose Ortiz was aboard for Flying P Stable and trainer Mike Maker.
Surveillance rallied into Mikel W’s fractions of 21.87 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.46 for the half-mile and went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:09.96.
Remington Green
The millionaire Gigante ($3,60) gave trainer Steve Asmussen his fourth win in the Remington Green when he closed for a length win over Spoiler in the $75,000 race run over 1 1/8 miles on the grass. The winner covered the distance in a quick 1:47.84.
Ortiz was aboard Gigante for the partnership of L and N Racing and Clark Brewster. Brewster has won three runnings of the Remington Green, it was announced by track spokesman Dale Day.
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