Mister Omaha romps in Oklahoma Classic Cup

Mister Omaha won his second consecutive $175,000 Oklahoma Classic Cup Handicap in commanding fashion on Friday at Remington Park, proving far superior to five rivals in a 4 1/2-length, gate-to-wire victory.

In an effortless performance under jockey Luis Quinonez, the 4-5 favorite was never in trouble, pulling well clear early through an opening quarter-mile in 23.72 seconds and half-mile in 47.32. He kicked ahead by five lengths at the top of the stretch and was geared down near the wire, completing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:42.82 and paying $3.80 to win.

Mister Omaha gave trainer Joe Offolter, who entered 11 horses in six statebred stakes Friday, his first of two victories on the card. In the 4-year-old colt’s first start since June, when he switched surfaces in the $250,000 Texas Turf Classic, he got back to business for his fourth straight win on dirt.

Winters Lion, a 17-1 longshot trained by Ronnie Cravens III, hustled forward from fifth early and held off the 6-5 second choice Classy Empire for second by a half-length. Classy Empire, who fired far too late for trainer Michael Biehler, finished 15 lengths clear for third.

Oklahoma Turf Classic Handicap

Less than an hour after the heavy favorite Mister Omaha delivered an easy victory for Joe Offolter in the feature at Remington, Kitty Code gave the trainer his second stakes of the day in far more dramatic fashion, closing fast at 28-1 to win the $130,000 Oklahoma Turf Classic Handicap by a neck.

After trailing for much of the 1 1/16-mile turf race under jockey Walter De La Cruz, the 4-year-old colt rallied hard around the far turn to challenge Country Caper and Eakly, who finished one-two in last year’s race.

Eakly, who was going for his third straight stakes victory for Donnie K. Von Hemel, held on to a short lead at the top of the stretch after making an early move on the backstretch, but could not keep up and faded to third.

Country Caper, the Oklahoma Turf Classic winner last year, made a more earnest try under Floyd Wethey Jr. and led in late stretch, but Kitty Code never relented and nipped him by a neck at the wire. He completed the 1 1/16-mile distance on a yielding turf course in 1:45.45 and paid $58.60 to win.

Kitty Code was understandably overlooked by bettors after coming up short in back-to-back third-level allowances in September. The gelding was making his stakes debut and had won just 2 of 11 starts, but could not be denied against some of the best in the statebred turf division.

Country Caper prevailed over Eakly by two lengths, winning a rematch without finding the winner’s circle for trainer Francisco Bravo. Eakly finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of the early pacesetter Stoney Brick Road, who faded after completing the opening quarter-mile in 24.31 seconds and half-mile in 49.90.

Oklahoma Classic Distaff Handicap

Miss Code West, the heaviest favorite at Remington on Friday, was far from a surprise in the $145,000 Oklahoma Classic Distaff Handicap. The Kevin Scholl-trained mare went unchallenged on the front end and easily held for her 14th career stakes victory.

In the 5-year-old’s first start on dirt since December last year, Floyd Wethey Jr. had the run of the race from the very beginning, breaking sharply to take clear command through an opening quarter-mile in 24.75 seconds. She extended while completing the half-mile in 48.73.

Imamidnightspecial, a 27-1 longshot trained by Tristan Ashford, gave chase in second all the way, but never managed to seriously challenge the 1-9 favorite. Miss Code West completed the mile and 70 yards in 1:42.12 and paid $2.20 to win.

Eireann, the 3-1 second choice and only other runner who went off at odds under 25-1, could not make up ground from third for Mark Buehler, finishing 3 3/4 lengths behind Imamidnightspecial.

In her first three starts this year, Miss Code West won two stakes on turf before switching back to dirt on Friday. She has won 16 of 22 career starts, all but one of which came in Oklahoma or Texas.

Oklahoma Classic Sprint?

Connors Outlaw, winless since September 2025, overcame a troubled trip to pull off a 22-1 upset in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classic Sprint Stakes on Friday. Buried behind horses on the backstretch, he and jockey Rene Diaz were 1 1/4 lengths clear by the time they hit the wire.

Early in the six-furlong sprint, the Mike Abner-trained longshot seemed to be settling into a ground-saving stalking position in third. But with horses vying on his outside, Diaz failed to find a path forward and was blocked early on the far turn, forcing him to back out and angle five wide.

Early pacesetters Legacy Account and Guapo were involved for only so long after completing the opening quarter-mile in 22.05 seconds and half-mile in 45.41. Outside contender Easy as Pie made an early move from seventh and was already in contention when Connors Outlaw finally shook free and began advancing.

As soon as Diaz found a lane, his 6-year-old surged forward to take a short lead at the top of the stretch. Easy as Pie fought on and Cajun Stoops made a late bid from eighth, but neither managed to rein in the winner. Connors Outlaw completed the six-furlong distance in 1:10.69 and paid $47.60 to win.

Easy as Pie, resilient at 7-1 for Michael Biehler, prevailed by a head over the Joe Offolter-trained gelding Cajun Stoops.

Last year, Connors Outlaw came up a neck short in the Oklahoma Classic Sprint, his first defeat in what would become an eight-race losing streak. Claimed by Abney for $30,000 in August, it took just two starts with his new trainer for that drought to end.

Oklahoma Classic Distaff Sprint Handicap

So Jacksann, a 26-1 longshot trained by Scott Corderman, was elevated to a victory through disqualification in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classic Distaff Sprint Handicap on Friday. Letta’s Legacy, the 2-5 first-place finisher, was placed third by stewards after crossing in front of Lanaluah in the stretch.

Despite pulling clear by 2 1/2 lengths with an otherwise perfect stalking trip, Letta’s Legacy was deemed to have interfered with Lanaluah while that 22-1 longshot was making a strong bid for command in midstretch.

So Jacksann and jockey Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, who set the early pace through an opening quarter-mile in 22.44 seconds and half-mile in 45.81, was not involved in the incident, but digging in on the rail to hold second by two lengths proved rewarding for the front-runner. She paid $55.40 to win.

Letta’s Legacy, the disqualified winner trained by C.R. Trout, completed the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.91.

*** With a determined rally from last, 3-year-old filly Killa Sally ran down favorites Talkin Cadee and Doudoudouwanadance to win the $130,000 Oklahoma Classic Distaff Turf Sprint by a half-length. In her second start for trainer Justin Evans, the resurgent winner went overlooked at 10-1 and earned her first victory since July, when she won a $75,000 starter/optional claiming race at Saratoga for Kenny McPeek.

*** Drain the Shot, a second-time starter trained by Michael Maker, took full advantage of statebred company to earn his maiden victory in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classic Juvenile Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths. The Kentucky-based colt was the only runner in the field of seven shipping to Remington.

*** Angelforblueskies had to dig deep at 3-5 to take care of business in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classic Lassie Stakes, holding off C W Miss by a nose. It was a strong bounce-back effort for the juvenile filly, who had last finished a distant fifth in the $50,000 Scissortail for trainer Tristan Ashford.

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