Fincher has two juveniles tuning-up at Remington for possible stakes starts

Trainer Todd Fincher has a pair of 2-year-olds auditioning on Monday for possible stakes starts next month at Remington Park.

Olivia Twist will be a strong favorite in the third race, a conditioned allowance for fillies at a mile that could produce starters for the $100,000 Trapeze on Dec. 17. She won a maiden special weight last month at Remington and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 76. The score came at five furlongs and Olivia Twist will make the move to two turns for the first time Monday. Fincher said with the right performance, she would target the Trapeze. Olivia Twist is a half-sister to West Virginia Derby winner Skippylongstocking.

American Outlaw goes in the fifth race, a conditioned allowance at a mile that could produce starters for the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 17. He, too, was a debut winner last month at Remington, in a maiden special weight at five furlongs. American Outlaw was a five-length winner and is a son of American Pharoah. He is from the female family of millionaire Mr Ross, who experienced a good deal of success at Remington.

“This race will give us an idea what to do,” Fincher said of a potential start in the Springboard with American Outlaw.

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The trainer won the Springboard Mile in 2020 with Senor Buscador. The Springboard Mile carries points for the Kentucky Derby.

*** The Tuesday card at Remington drew an interesting 2-year-old in Gunflash, who is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Flash of Mischief. Gunflash, by Gun Runner, will be making his career debut in a maiden special weight slotted as the ninth race. Earlier this meet, Flash of Mischief won the David M. Vance ahead of a start in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Gunflash has the same connections as Flash of Mischief in breeder and owner Jerry Namy, trainer Karl Broberg, and jockey Cristian Torres.

*** Torres is the current leader at Remington and will next be based at Oaklawn, according to his agent, Cody Autrey. Autrey said he will also have Orlando Mojica’s book at Oaklawn.

*** Following the Monday and Tuesday afternoon cards at Remington, the Oklahoma City track will resume racing Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Remington will then revert to its normal Wednesday to Saturday schedule through the close of the meet Dec. 17.

*** Apprentice Hannah Leahey, who has been riding at Penn National, is scheduled to winter at Oaklawn, said Jay Fedor, who will have her book in Arkansas. Fedor said he also will be representing jockey Francisco Arrieta. The rider was second in last season’s standings at Oaklawn.

*** Jockey David Cabrera, who won the most recent title at Oaklawn, will again be based at the Arkansas track, said his agent, Jose Santos Jr. Santos also said he would be booking mounts for apprentice Rene Diaz. Reylu Gutierrez will winter at Fair Grounds, but will travel to Oaklawn for stakes, largely for trainer John Ortiz, said Santos.

*** The Southern California-based trainer John Sadler, who in the past has had a division of horses at Oaklawn, said this season it’s his intent to ship in runners for some of the track’s stakes. He said he’s looking forward to staying at the trackside hotel that opened last season.

*** Rock a Jess V ($5.80) won the richest race in Texas on Saturday night, when he accounted for the Grade 1, $1.2 million Texas Classic Futurity for Quarter Horses. He was supplemented to the trials for the race, which shared a card with the Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby won by Kj Desparado ($3). Last year, he won the Texas Classic Futurity.

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