9-year-old Perfect to Please triumphs over youngsters in Remington Park Turf Sprint
Perfect to Please won the 18th race of his career Friday night, when he got up on the wire to capture the $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint. He won by a head over Sladens Dream, while it was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Dance to My Song.
The Turf Sprint was one of three turf stakes on the card, all for 3-year-olds and up bred in Oklahoma.
Perfect to Please ($6) had one horse beat early as Sladens Dream set fractions of 21.09 seconds for the opening quarter and 43.54 for the half-mile. Perfect to Please came barreling down the stretch to get home in time, covering five furlongs on firm ground in 56.21 seconds.
“He’s an amazing horse,” said Bryan McNeil, who was aboard for trainer Veronica Griggs.
Perfect to Please, who is 9, has made 79 starts, and the first-place check of $42,000 from Friday night pushed his earnings to $613,793. He is a son of Pleasantly Perfect and he races for Elada Kirk.
Timely Reply sprang a 66-1 upset in the $70,000 Red Earth, when he closed from next to last to win the 7 1/2-furlong race by a neck over Quality Rocket. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Quality Rocket.
Timely Reply ($134.60) settled off the pace set by Pacific Typhoon, who took the field through an opening quarter in 22.59 seconds and a half-mile in 45.24. Timely Reply went on to cover the distance on firm ground in 1:27.69.
Freddy Manrrique was aboard the winner, who is trained by his breeder, Randy Swango. Timely Reply races for Kim Swango.
Timely Reply, who is a son of the Woodman stallion Wood Reply, was returning to turf for the first time in about a year. He had won a first-level allowance on the grass in 2018 at Remington.
Timely Reply has now won 5 of 38 starts and earned $164,635.
Alternative Slew was a half-length winner over pacesetter Hawaiian Typhoon in the $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial for fillies and mares. It was another length back in third to favorite Sunday Night Miss.
Alternative Slew ($7.40) settled just off the pace as Hawaiian Typhoon took the field through an opening quarter in 22.97 seconds, a half-mile in 46.07 and six furlongs in 1:09.74. Alternative Slew covered the distance in 1:28.26.
Following the race, a claim of foul against Alternative Slew for stretch interference was disallowed.
Iram Diego rode the winner for trainer Randy Oberlander. Alternative Slew has now won 3 of 7 starts and earned $110,476. She is a daughter of Alternation who races for Walter M. Jones.
Remington puts on its biggest program of racing Sunday, with a special afternoon card featuring the Oklahoma Derby. First post is 3 p.m. Central.