Shotgun Kowboy could give Trout another chance at Clark Handicap

Trainer C.R. Trout shipped Maysville Slew to Churchill Downs for the Clark Handicap back in 2000, and the horse ran one of the best races of his career, finishing third to Surfside and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 107.

Trout has since waited for the right horse to take another shot at the Clark, and he believes he has found him in Shotgun Kowboy. The winner of the Grade 3, $424,000 Oklahoma Derby in September added another stakes win to his résumé last week when he defeated older horses in the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup at his base of Remington Park.

Trout said the next stop is the Grade 1, $500,000 Clark on Nov. 27 at Churchill.

“I’ve wanted to go back, and he may afford me the opportunity to do that,” Trout said. “Right now, there’s no reason not to go. He came back really good, never missed a bite of food. He’s just really good.”

Trout said the Clark also is a chance to bolster the value of Shotgun Kowboy’s dam, Shotgun Jane. In addition to training Shotgun Kowboy, Trout also bred and owns the horse. Shotgun Jane is part of Trout’s band of nine broodmares who are based at his farm in Edmond, Okla.

Shotgun Kowboy is unbeaten this year, starting his season with an 11 1/4-length allowance win Aug. 29 at Remington. He proceeded to win the track’s richest Thoroughbred race, the Oklahoma Derby, then its co-richest race for older horses, the Classics Cup.

Down the road, Trout is looking at running Shotgun Kowboy in the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita.

“I want to rest him after the Clark,” said Trout. “I’ll bring him home with me and rest him about three weeks. I want to be with my family at Christmas, then possibly I’ll go to the Evangeline Training Center. We haven’t got a real definite plan yet.”

Trout could have another Churchill stakes starter before Shotgun Kowboy. He said Harlan’s Romance, who was third to Grade 1 winner Include Betty in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks in September, is being considered for the Grade 2, $200,000 Mrs. Revere on Nov. 14.

Other top horses for the Trout barn include Bring It On Dude, who picked up his second stakes win at the Remington meet last weekend in the $89,250 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile. Trout said the horse is being debated for a start in either the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Nov. 21 or the $250,000 Springboard Mile on the final day of the Remington meet Dec. 13. Nominations to the Delta Downs Jackpot close Saturday.

Trout has won 11 of 22 starts with horses he owns at this Remington meet. He leads the track’s owners in earnings with $724,045.

◗ Ivan Fallunovalot was scheduled to have his final work for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Remington, said trainer Tom Howard, then ship to Keeneland.