Alternative Slew has won the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf the past two years in a row. This year, however, her half-sister Run Slewpy Run is the 3-1 morning line favorite on Friday night's Oklahoma Classics Night at Remington Park.
Oklahoma Classics Night includes eight stakes races worth more than $1 million for the top Oklahoma-breds in the game. The first race of the evening is at 7:07pm.
Both Run Slewpy Run and Alternative Slew are from the barn of trainer Jesse Oberlander and both have the same mother (dam), Imadancingslew. Alternative Slew is the second favorite at 7-2 odds and probably would be the favorite as the two-time defending champion, but the 5-year-old mare has had only one race since Dec. 12.
“She almost put her eye out in her stall and almost lost the eye,” Oberlander said of Alternative Slew. “It got infected and we had to give her some time off. She's fine now and we were able to save her eye.”
Her half-sister, Run Slewpy Run, has had three races this meet, including a 2-for-2 run on the turf. This 3-year-old filly by Den's Legacy with Imadancingslew by Evansville Slew won an allowance on the grass to open the meet at 7-1/2 furlongs on Sept. 2 and then followed that with her first stakes win at the same distance greensward, the $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial Stakes on Sept. 24. In between those wins, she ran second in the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes on the dirt Sept. 10.
Alternative Slew's sire is Alternation.
“These two are amazing,” said Oberlander of his filly and mare. “And their little half-brother is running in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile, Dancing Devil.”
Alternative Slew won this race last year on Oct. 16 by 1-3/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite with Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey Luis Quinonez up. He retains the mount this year. Quinonez moved into second place on the all-time winningest jockey list at Remington Park this meet, passing Don Pettinger. She also won the 2019 edition by 4-1/4 lengths as the even-money favorite. Iram Diego rode her to victory that night. Her half-sister, Run Slewpy Run's two wins on the lawn have been at 7-1/2 furlongs while this race is set for 1-1/16th miles. It will be interesting to see who has the advantage down the stretch.
Mike Jones of Bristow, Okla., owns both horses and is also the breeder.
Another mare that can't be overlooked is Country Daisy, the third horse on the morning-line odds at 9-2, at the rail in post-position one. She ran second to Run Slewpy Run in the Bob Barry Memorial, beaten three lengths as the 2-1 favorite. She beat Alternative Slew in an allowance race on the grass Sept. 1 by five lengths at 7-1/2 furlongs, but that was also Alternative Slew's first race back after more than eight months off.
The National Weather Service is calling for a clear but cool evening Friday night with the high in Oklahoma City reaching 64 degrees. There is no rain in the forecast. Temperatures should be dropping into the 50s during the races.
Here's the field from the rail out with horse, jockey, trainer and odds:
- Country Daisy, Leandro Goncalves, Ray Ashford, 9-2
- Twilight Curfew, David Cabrera, Ronnie Cravens III, 6-1
- Courtly, Ezequiel Lara, Lynn Chleborad, 5-1
- Leather and Lace, Lindey Wade, Ronnie Cravens III, 20-1
- Hawaiian Typhoon, Lane Luzzi, Austin Gustafson, 8-1
- Tic Toc Toccet, Jose Medina, Steve Williams, 15-1
- Run Slewpy Run, Luis Quinonez, Jesse Oberlander, 3-1
- Tiztheboss, Chad Lindsay, Miguel Silva, 12-1
- Alternative Slew, Stewart Elliott, Jesse Oberlander, 7-2
The Distaff Turf is the fourth race of the night with an approximate off time of 8:34pm. All times are Central.
The other stakes events comprising the Oklahoma Classics include:
Race 2 – $145,000 Distaff, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 mile-70 yards
Race 3 – $130,000 Sprint, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs
**Welder, the all-time winningest horse at Remington Park with 16 wins here, will be making the final start of his career in the Sprint. His connections, Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Okla., and trainer Teri Luneack have indicated he will, after retirement, train to be the farm's pony horse, returning to the racetrack to accompany Ra-Max's racehorses in the post parade and to the gate.
Race 5 – $100,000 Lassie, 2-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs
Race 6 – $175,000 Classics Cup, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/16 miles
Race 7 – $100,000 Juvenile, 2-year-old colts and geldings, 6 furlongs
Race 8 – $130,000 Distaff Sprint, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs
Race 9 – $130,000 Turf Classic, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/16 miles (turf)
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