Absaroka triumphs in Oklahoma Classics Cup
Absaroka made his stakes debut in the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup on Friday at Remington Park and was a commanding, 4 1/4-length winner over Number One Dude.
It was another seven lengths back in third to last year’s winner, Dont Tell Noobody.
Earlier on the card, Welder finished third in his career finale. The millionaire was seeking his fourth win in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint, which was won by Shannon C.
The races were among eight Oklahoma-bred stakes on the card. The Oklahoma Classics races were worth a cumulative $1 million.
In the Classics Cup, Absaroka ($4) set fractions of 24.10 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.45 for the half-mile and 1:12.62 for six furlongs as Number One Dude chased in second. The winner went on to cover 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.10.
“He’s such a nice horse,” winning rider David Cabrera said in a post race interview broadcast by Remington. “He got up there on the lead and relaxed nice and easy.”
Cabrera was aboard for C.R. Trout, who was winning his seventh Classics Cup as a trainer, it was announced at Remington. Cowboy Stables bred and owns Absaroka, who is by Flat Out.
The win was the third straight for the 5-year-old, who had won a $30,000 conditioned claiming race and an Oklahoma-bred allowance in his prior two starts this meet at Remington. He is now 5 for 17 for earnings of $214,317.
“He’s just got a lot of talent and tonight we saw it,” Trout said.
The Classics Cup was for 3-year-olds and up and it ranked as the richest offering on Friday's card.
Trout had more Oklahoma Classics success later on the card with homebred Sunday Flashback ($2.40) in the $130,000 Distaff Sprint. She delivered at 1-5, when she fought for a head win over Our Musical Moment. Jose Alvarez was aboard the daughter of Flashback, who covered six furlongs in 1:10.82. Trout bred, owns and trains Sunday Flashback.
Welder third in career finale
Welder, the three-time Oklahoma-bred horse of the year who also ranks as the all-time winningest horse at Remington Park, was making his career finale in the Sprint and ran third to winner Shannon C.
Shannon C ($12.80) shuttled to a three-length victory over stablemate Mesa Moon. It was another length back in third to Welder.
Shannon C was winning his second straight stakes behind the $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint. He stalked the pace, shot through an opening along the rail as Welder came four wide into the stretch, and went on to cover six furlongs in 1:10.12.
Shannon C had finished second to Welder in a handful of stakes in the past, including a previous running of the Sprint.
“Shannon has been an iron horse,” winning trainer Scott Young said in an interview broadcast by Remington. “Today was his day.”
Leandro Goncalves was aboard Shannon C, a son of Latent Heat and the multiple stakes-winning mare Miranda Diane. B and S Racing bred and owns Shannon C, who improved his career record to 7 for 27 for earnings of $368,766.
In other stakes, She’s All Wolfe came five wide into the stretch and went on to a 1 1/4-length win over Dipping In in the $145,000 Distaff. It was her second straight win in the race, which her dam, the millionaire She’s All In, won four times in her career.
She’s All Wolfe ($6.20) stalked the pace from the rail in the early stages, advanced into the stretch, and overtook the leaders while covering the one mile, 70 yards for fillies and mares in 1:42.55.
It was announced the win was the eighth Distaff victory for both Robert Zoellner, who bred and owns She’s All Wolfe, and trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
“It’s awesome,” Zoellner said in a post-race interview broadcast by Remington. “It’s all Donnie Von Hemel and his team. I try to send good horses and they do the rest. It’s a great team effort. Really, that’s what horse racing is all about.”
She’s All Wolfe, who was ridden by Richard Eramia, is a daughter of Magna Graduate.
Half-sisters lock up exacta
Run Slewpy Run ($4.60) shot to the lead into the stretch and went on to a three-length win over her half-sister and stablemate Alternative Slew in the $130,000 Distaff Turf.
Both fillies are trained by Jesse Oberlander and both were bred by their owner, Walter M. Jones.
Alternative Slew had won the last two runnings of the Distaff Turf to give Jones three wins in the race. Luis Quinonez, who rode Run Slewpy Run, was winning his fifth Turf Distaff, it was announced at Remington.
“Turning for home, I asked her and she took off,” Quinonez said in a post-race interview at Remington.
The winner is by Den’s Legacy and covered the 1 1/16 miles on firm ground in 1:43.28.
*** Pacific Typhoon ($83) led throughout for a 1 1/2-length win over Quarky in the $130,000 Turf for 3-year-olds and up. It was the second win in the race for Pacific Typhoon. His first Turf victory came in 2017. Lane Luzzi was aboard the winner, a son of Don’t Get Mad who races for Carol Nelson and is trained by Austin Gustafson.
*** Morning Twilight ($15) ran her record to 2 for 2 with a dominant, 7 1/2-length victory over favorite Hits Pricey Legacy in the $100,000 Lassie. The winner covered the six furlongs for 2-year-old fillies in 1:11.20. Stewart Elliott was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen. Morning Twilight is a daughter of Morning Line who races for West Point Thoroughbreds, Edwin Barker and Titletown Racing Stable.
*** Rowdy Rascal ($9.60) was up for a head win over pacesetter Charming Okie in the $100,000 Juvenile. It was another length back in third to favorite Cuatro Madres.The winner covered six furlongs in 1:12.18. Freddy Manrrique was aboard Rowdy Rascal, a son of Den’s Legacy who races for JT Stables and is trained by Boyd Caster.