Welder romps to fifth TRAO Sprint Stakes victory

Welder made the first start of his 7-year-old season Tuesday at Will Rogers Downs and showed plenty of his old spark. Welder whizzed past pacesetting Shannon C in upper stretch and fired home for a 6 1/2-length victory in the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma Sprint Stakes.

Welder’s name now is burned indelibly into this Oklahoma-bred race; it was the fifth year in a row Welder has won it, and no horse has ever come close to him.

Shannon C lit out for the lead like he meant to take the fight to 1-5 favorite Welder but had no fight at all when Welder lit into him at the three-sixteenths pole. Welder now has won 10 times from his 11 races at Will Rogers, which is the home track of his owner, Clayton Rash, who races as Ra-Max Farms. Teri Luneack trains Welder, and his regular pilot, David Cabrera, steered him home.

The winner’s share of Tuesday’s $55,000 purse pushed Welder past $1 million in career earnings, while his performance suggested that a flat showing at Remington this past December in his 6-year-old finale doesn’t mean Welder is diminished at age 7. Welder might have lost a touch of his early zip, as Shannon C led by several lengths through a swift opening quarter-mile of 22.10 seconds, but Welder cut into the margin around the turn without being asked, and off a half-mile split of 44.55, Welder clocked a fine 1:09.01 for six furlongs over a fast track.

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Welder ($2.40), bred by Center Hills, is by The Visualiser and out of the Tiznow mare Dance Softly. His record stands at 22-4-4 from 33 starts, and from the way he ran Tuesday, there’s still more to come.

* Country Daisy rallied along the fence, caught Spring Steen in the final half-furlong, and won the $55,000 Miranda Diane Stakes on Monday at Will Rogers by a half-length under Ken Tohill. Country Daisy went off at 28-1 and paid $58 to win this sprint race for older Oklahoma-bred fillies and mares. H. Ray Ashford trains the winner, a daughter of Country Day and the Holy Bull mare Holy Molly, for breeders David and Tammie Bay.