Ghost Hero a new face in division for Classics Cup

Ghost Hero is a fresh face to the division for Friday night’s $131,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup at Remington Park. The race is one of eight stakes on a $1 million card that celebrates runners bred in Oklahoma.

The field of six for the Classics Cup, which is for 3-year-olds and up over 1 1/16 miles, includes defending winner That’s Something, past winner in Absaroka, and seven-time stakes winner Number One Dude.

Ghost Hero exits the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in which he set the pace and finished 10th. The effort followed a good third in the $350,000 Hilton Memorial at Charles Town and a close fourth in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park.

“The performance last time, he was just kind of ready to bounce on us,” said Jayde Gelner, who trains Ghost Hero for Norman Stables. “He ran two really good races back-to-back, against tough company.”

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Ghost Hero will break from post 2 under jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. Gelner looks for the horse to be prominent, and noted there is other speed in the Classics Cup.

“We’ll kind of go from the break, find our way out,” Gelner said. “It’s a short field. I don’t think the pace will be too hot. Hopefully, we’re up there in a good spot.”

Ghost Hero is facing older rivals for the second time. He won an allowance sprint over such foes this spring at Will Rogers. The horse has four stakes wins, his latest in the $55,000 Will Rogers at a mile in May.

“At Claremore going a mile, he had a pretty wide trip,” Gelner said. “He sat a half-length off of them the whole way. It’s when he ran one of his best races. At Charles Town, he sat off them and ran a really good performance.

“I think he’s mentally more there than he was at 2. He’s matured a lot lately, proven he can run with some good ones.”

Number One Dude and That’s Something are both moving back to dirt following turf starts in the Red Earth Stakes at Remington. It’s the same pattern both followed in the Classics Cup last year, when That’s Something was a wire-to-wire winner over runner-up Number One Dude.

Leandro Goncalves has the mount on Number One Dude from post 6. Earlier in the meet, the horse ran a strong fourth in the $100,000 Governor’s Cup. Scott Young trains for breeder and owner Terry Westemeir.

Lynn Chleborad bred, owns, and trains That’s Something, who will break from post 5 under Luis Quinonez.

Half-sisters in Distaff Turf

Gelner has the half-sisters Run Slewpy Run and Alternative Slew as leading contenders in the $99,000 Distaff Turf. It will be run over 1 1/16 miles and the field of seven includes the up-and-coming Rainbows Are Free.

Run Slewpy Run won the Bob Barry Memorial for the third year in a row last out at Remington. She captured the Distaff Turf for the first time in 2021 and was second last year to Plenty of Vision, who also returns Friday.

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Stewart Elliott has the mount on Run Slewpy Run from post 4.

“She’s been doing really, really good, put on some weight,” Gelner said of Run Slewpy Run since her last start Sept. 22.

“She does everything you ask of her. She used to be a very forwardly placed horse. Her last start, she was just relaxed and wanting to close.”

Alternative Slew was fifth in a main track sprint in her last start Sept. 15 at Remington. It was her first out since November 2021.

“She seems to be coming into the race good,” Gelner said. “Sprinting is not her forte, per sé, but off the two-year layoff, I would rather run her three-quarters [to start off]. She ran good. She’s a hard-trying filly.”

Alternative Slew won the Distaff Turf in 2020.

◗ Gotta See Red is back on dirt for the $111,000 Distaff, a race for fillies and mares over a mile and 70 yards. The last time she ran on the main track, Gotta See Red won back-to-back races at a similar distance, including the More Than Even Stakes at Will Rogers. Leandro Goncalves has the mount from post 6 for trainer Kari Craddock.

◗ Ragan’s Jet is back racing with fillies and mares and back on dirt for the $99,000 Distaff Sprint at six furlongs off a start in the Remington Park Turf Sprint. She won this race a year ago and has added two more Oklahoma-bred sprint wins since to stamp herself as the division leader. Gerardo Mora has the mount from post 7 for trainer Joe Offolter.

◗ Power Slam will be a short price in the $99,000 Juvenile off his third-place finish against open foes in the Kip Deville at Remington. The next start for Good Like Magic, the winner of the Kip Deville, has not yet been determined, trainer Brad Cox said Monday.

◗ Calebs Lady brings stakes experience to the table when she breaks from post 12 in the $99,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs.

◗ Fly to the Bank is out to defend his title in the $99,000 Sprint.

◗ Dark Afternoon seeks to stretch his speed to two turns for the $99,000 Turf.

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