West Omaha tries two turns in Trapeze Stakes

There are reasons to believe West Omaha could develop into a runner of note. She will be tested for class Friday night when she makes her stakes debut in the $75,000 Trapeze at Remington Park.

“Hopefully, she takes the next step,” said trainer Brad Cox.

The Trapeze is a one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies that shares a card with five other stakes. The program is led by the $300,000 Springboard Mile, which carries eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby.

First post for the Remington card is 5 p.m. Central. Forecasters are calling for a high of 44 degrees and a couple of evening showers, according to AccuWeather. The meet closes Saturday.

The Trapeze field of nine includes stakes winners Tx Women for Arts and Miss Code West. Also in the field is the well-bred Laurie’s Secret, who is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Will’s Secret.

West Omaha won a maiden special weight over seven furlongs in her second career start Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. The Beyer Speed Figure of 81 she earned for her four-length victory is the best last-race number in the Trapeze. West Omaha will be making her two-turn debut Friday.

“I think she’ll handle it,” Cox said. “She’s had two good runs going seven-eighths and based off pedigree, she’s bred to handle it. She’s always trained like a filly that would go long, and she’ll get her shot on Friday.”

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West Omaha is a homebred for Gary and Mary West. She is by champion West Coast and from the female family of Olympio. West Omaha has been effective from both on and off the pace and will break from the rail under Flavien Prat.

“Mentally, she’s laid back, handles everything good,” Cox said. “Physically, she looks like a two-turn filly – plenty of leg, plenty of scope.”

Tx Women for the Arts won the $100,000 Prairie Gold Lassie in July at Prairie Meadows. She’s placed in two stakes since, her latest a runner-up finish by a neck in the $100,000 Zia Park Princess on Nov. 28. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount from post 2 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Miss Code West is unbeaten in three starts, with all of her wins coming against Oklahoma-breds at Remington. Her victories include both the Oklahoma Classics Night Lassie at one turn and the Slide Show around two turns in her most recent out Nov. 10. Floyd Wethey Jr. has the mount from post 4 for trainer Kevin Scholl.

Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial

Cox and Prat will team up again on the undercard with Pioneer of Medina, one of the top contenders in the $75,000 Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial.

The mile and 70-yard race also drew Oklahoma-bred stakes winners Number One Dude and Rowdy Rascal, and the multiple stakes-placed Presidential.

Pioneer of Medina won the Grade 3 Mineshaft last February at Fair Grounds. He’s making his second start off a layoff Friday following a fifth-place finish in a one-turn mile allowance at Churchill that served as his first out since June.

“He’s a true two-turn horse,” Cox said. “I thought the last race, he sat a little closer to the pace than I expected. I didn’t really like the way he finished up. He’s trained well since. We’ll go back to two turns, second run off the layoff.”

Presidential seems to be sitting on a breakthrough race. He’s finished second in back-to-back route races in his last two starts, the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap and the $125,000 Zia Park Distance Championship. Gaffalione has the mount from post 3 for Asmussen.

She’s All In

There’s no shortage of speed in the $75,000 She’s All In for fillies and mares over a mile and 70 yards, but Palacein might have a chance to slip away on the stretch-out from one turn. She attended a quick pace in the Zia Park Distaff over six furlongs, ultimately finishing fourth in the Nov. 28 race.

Palacein had won three straight sprint races in wire-to-wire fashion leading up to the Zia Park Distaff. Gerardo Mora has the mount from post 3 for trainer Scott Young.

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Young also trains Tiffany Twist, who is going sprint to route as she enters off a runner-up finish in an allowance over six furlongs at Remington. Tiffany Twist will break from post 8 in the field of eight and could get an ideal tracking trip off Palacein. Iram Diego has the mount.

Luis Saez will ride Perfect Wish, a restricted stakes winner who has run some races that would put her right in the mix for trainer Jayde Gelner.

◗ The card also includes a pair of $50,000 stakes at a mile for 3-year-olds bred in Oklahoma. Eakly seeks his second stakes win at the meet in the Jim Thorpe and 13-length maiden winner Ship of Dreams tests stakes company in the Useeit.

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