Engel, More Than Even smokin’ hot for RPDC Classic Distaff

Trainer Roger Engel has won races at a 49 percent clip all meet long at Will Rogers Downs, a record that’s almost as good as the one stable star More Than Even will bring into the $55,000 RPDC Classic Distaff on Monday. More Than Even is 5 for 7 at Will Rogers, and is the defending champ in the one-mile and 70-yard race for fillies and mares bred in Oklahoma.

The Classic Distaff drew six, including Heykittykittykitty, who is cross-entered in the Grade 3, $100,000 Winning Colors on Monday at Churchill Downs. Others making up the Will Rogers field include multiple stakes winners Zealous Vision and Sooner Superstar.

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Classic Distaff (Race 9)

Key contenders

More Than Even (Last 3 Beyers: 84-85-86)

◗ A winner of 12 of 28 starts, she is moving back to two turns after finishing second by a neck in the $55,000 Classic Distaff Sprint, won by Heykittykittykitty.

“I think her best race is probably about a flat mile,” Engel said. “She runs long and she can run short. She can do about whatever you want her to do.”

◗ Cliff Berry will ride More Than Even, who will break from post 6.

“She’s very versatile, can go to the lead, sit off the pace,” Engel said. “Post 6 of six, Cliff can see what everybody else is doing and decide what he wants to do.”

◗ Engel is operating the hottest barn at Will Rogers. He had won 34 races from 69 starters at the meet through Friday and is poised to collect his fifth consecutive Will Rogers training title when the season wraps on Tuesday. At one point in the meet, which started in mid-March, the 50-year-old native of Nebraska went 20 for 30.

“It’s been crazy,” Engel said. “It’s kept going the whole meet. Usually you tail off at some point, but the horses have all run good, are strong, and are all doing good. You have to be thankful when you have meets like that. They don’t come around every day.”

◗ Engel said More Than Even, a 5-year-old by Stephen Got Even who races for her breeder, Doyle Williams, could see stakes action at Prairie Meadows this summer depending on her performance Monday. He said she would be a candidate for either the $100,000 Saylorville at six furlongs or the $100,000 Iowa Distaff at a mile and a sixteenth, both June 26.

“The timing’s good,” Engel said. “You’ve got to take it race by race. Regardless, she’s doing good.”