Imahit seeks repeat in Oklahoma Classics Cup

For a breeder, owner, and trainer like C.R. Trout, the $1 million Oklahoma Classics Night at Remington Park is an important target. Trout won the program’s main event last year when Imahit captured the $175,000 Classics Cup, and the horse is back to defend his title in the 1 1/16-mile race Saturday night against probable favorite Z Rockstar and the multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old Ibaka.

The Classics Cup is the richest of the eight divisional stakes for Oklahoma-breds. Trout, who bred, raced, and trained the Grade 1 winner Shotgun Gulch and is the breeder of the Canadian champion Hollywood Hit, has a total of five stakes starters Saturday.

He also has Shotgun Kowboy in the $100,000 Juvenile, Winner To Be in the $145,000 Distaff, Bringinginthelute in the $130,000 Distaff Turf, and High Price Hit in the $100,000 Lassie. All are homebreds raised at his Edmond, Okla., farm that houses nine broodmares a short drive from Remington.

“A night like this means an awful lot,” Trout said. “As Oklahomans, we get to be at home, for one thing. We get to showcase the horses we bred and have all our family with us. It’s a fun night for us.”

Classics Cup (race 10)

KEY CONTENDERS

Imahit (Last 3 Beyers: 88-84-51)

* He enters this Classics Cup off a runner-up finish to Z Rockstar in a one-mile allowance Sept. 27 at Remington. Since the start, Imahit has worked a bullet half-mile in 46.20 seconds in preparation for his third start since January.

“He’s working lights out,” Trout said. “He’s just training like a bear. I couldn’t ask him to be any better.”

* Imahit will break from post 4 under jockey Jareth Loveberry.

“This horse has one way to run – go to the lead – and if you catch him, fine. If you don’t, he’ll outrun you,” Trout said. “You can’t fight him. You’ve got to let him do his thing.”

* Imahit picks up an additional sixteenth of a mile Saturday.

“The distance will help him some,” Trout said. “If he can get on the lead and relax, he can carry a mile and a sixteenth.”

Z Rockstar (Last 3 Beyers: 91-91-76)

* He’s put up his best career Beyer Speed Figures in his last two starts, running fourth against open company Aug. 16 in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup, then winning the allowance prep for the Classics Cup.

* Z Rockstar’s trainer, Donnie Von Hemel, has won an unmatched 25 Classics races at Remington.

Ibaka (Last 3 Beyers: 73-78-86)

* He won five straight races heading into his last start, a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby won by Tonito M.

Juvenile (race 5)

KEY CONTENDERS

Shotgun Kowboy (Last 2 Beyers: 88-75)

* He looks like one of the best bets on the night off his third-place finish to Bayerd in the $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington on Sept. 28. Bayerd came into the race off an 11-length maiden special weight win at Saratoga, while Shotgun Kowboy was coming off a 12 3/4-length maiden allowance score at Remington.

“We just think an awful lot of this colt,” Trout said. “He had a little bit of a bad break last time, he didn’t break like he could, and there were nice horses in there. He was catching them on the end. I think he’ll run a big race.”

* Luis Quinonez has the mount from post 9.

He Knows Better (Last 3 Beyers: 61-64-42)

* He was a maiden special weight winner last out at Remington, one start after running third to the eventual stakes winner W V Jetsetter in a maiden race at Lone Star Park.

Distaff (race 8)

KEY CONTENDERS

Winner To Be (Last 3 Beyers: 75-77-68)

* She rallied for third in the allowance prep for the Distaff at Remington on Sept. 27.

“She hasn’t had the speed to run at,” Trout said of recent race shapes for Winner To Be. “It looks like there’s a little more speed for her to run at, and that will help her.”

Foreign Sultress (Last 3 Beyers: 78-77-75)

* She’s moved forward with each of her races following a layoff and will be making her third start since May on Saturday.

In other stakes:

** More Than Even cuts back to one turn for the $130,000 Distaff Sprint, which opens the program at 7 p.m. Central.

** Ridgestone, a stakes winner last out, starts as a supplement in the Distaff Turf, and Stratagem gets first Lasix in the Lassie.

◗ Okie Ride heads the $130,000 Sprint, and Perfect to Please could go favored in the $130,000 Turf.

◗ Remington will have an all-stakes pick four on races 7-10, with the minimum pool guaranteed at $30,000.