Ghost Hero, Doudoudouwanadance favored in juvenile stakes
Ghost Hero and Doudoudouwanadance both won stakes last month and will likely be favored to do so again Friday night, when they make their two-turn debuts in separate stakes races at Remington Park.
There are a total of three stakes on the card, all restricted to horses bred in Oklahoma.
Ghost Hero goes in the $75,000 Don C. McNeill for 2-year-olds at a mile, and Doudoudouwanadance headlines the counterpart for 2-year-old fillies, the $75,000 Slide Show. The $70,000 Silver Goblin for 3-year-olds and up over 6 1/2 furlongs is led by Fly to the Bank.
The McNeill drew a field of eight. Ghost Hero won his maiden in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile last month at Remington. He was prominent throughout for a 1 3/4-length victory, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 74. The win came in his third career start.
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“It was what we expected the first two times,” trainer Jayde Gelner said of Ghost Hero. “I was a little disappointed he didn’t win first time and extra disappointed the second time when he didn’t get the job done. It kind of all come together.”
Gelner said Ghost Hero was purchased by Norman Stables with a goal of targeting Oklahoma-bred stakes opportunities this meet at Remington. It made the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile win a satisfying one, he said.
“He had a setback over the summer,” Gelner said. “It’s what we’d been pointing for. After the little layoff that he had, we tried to do everything to get him here on time and run in that, and it paid off.”
Ghost Hero has worked sharply since, going a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on Nov. 4. The move was the second-fastest of 24 at the distance that morning at Remington. Ghost Hero must now answer the question of two turns when he breaks from the rail under Stewart Elliott.
“I think that he’ll like it,” Gelner said. “He worked really good the other day, galloped out strong. Stewart said he thinks he’ll handle it, too.”
The chief rival could by Eakly, a son of Caleb’s Posse who was favored in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and finished fourth. The start was his first following an impressive maiden special weight victory over Ghost Hero. Eakly will remove blinkers Friday. Richard Eramia has the mount from post 4 for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
Doudoudouwanadance will be a strong favorite in the Slide Show after winning her two starts by a combined margin of 15 lengths. Following a maiden special weight win at Remington, she captured last month’s Oklahoma Classics Lassie by seven lengths. Doudoudouwanadance now makes the move to two turns, and the daughter of Magna Graduate is a half-sister to a multiple stakes winner at the configuration in Number One Dude.
Doudoudouwanadance will break from post 5 in the field of eight Friday. Leandro Goncalves has the mount for Terry Westemeir and trainer Kari Craddock.
Fly to the Bank has won back-to-back races heading into the Silver Goblin, with his latest victory coming last month in the Oklahoma Classics Sprint. The Beyer of 85 that he earned is the best last-race number in the 12-horse Silver Goblin. Leading rider Cristian Torres has the mount from post 11 for trainer Jim Helzer.
Euromantic, runner-up in the Oklahoma Classics Sprint, also returns in the Silver Goblin.
◗ Remington has added a Nov. 30 card to its calendar to make up for a lost program on Oct. 29.
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