Just nine days after breaking her maiden status in a hard-fought effort, Morning Twilight made things look easier in winning her second start, the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie, sponsored by Coors Light, on Friday, Oct. 15 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Owned by the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds, Edwin Barker, and Titletown Racing Stables, Morning Twilight was bred in Oklahoma by Joe Merrick of Sayre. The filly was a $310,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' 2-year-old in training sale this year. Trained by racing's all-time leading winner Steve Asmussen, Morning Twilight was confidently ridden by Stewart Elliott.
When Morning Twilight won her first career race to break her maiden status on Oct. 6 at Remington Park, she scored a six-furlong event by one length. In the Lassie, the 2-year-old filly by Morning Line from the Medaglia d'Oro mare Sweet Golden Carol won by a widening 7-1/2 lengths.
After stalking the early pace set by Bring It On Baby, Morning Twilight made her move coming off the lone turn of the six-furlong event. The pair rolled to the top of the stretch together before Morning Twilight had enough of her company and kicked forward to an open lead, finishing in 1:11.20 over the fast track. Hits Pricey Legacy made a wide move down the stretch to gain second while Circle Back Girl (50-1 odds) came up the rail and just missed getting into the exacta, settling for third a head behind the runner-up.
Bring It On Baby set the opening fractions of :22.30 for a quarter-mile and then :45.70 for the half-mile. She would fade to finish fourth, beaten 9-3/4 lengths.
Morning Twilight was at 6-1 in the wagering and paid $15 to win, $5.80 to place and $4.20 to show. Hits Pricey Legacy paid $2.20 to place and $2.10 to show as the beaten wagering favorite at 1-2 odds. Circle Back Girl returned $9.80 to show.
The remaining order of finish in the Lassie was Smokin' Okie (5th), Lil' Jimmi Sue (6th), Tiptoe Henny (7th), Boujee Britt (8th), Take Me Serious (9th), Freccia d'Argento (10th), and Presley's Artwork (11th).
The Lassie win was the first for the owners of Morning Twilight. It was the second Lassie win for Asmussen and his fourth overall win in the Oklahoma Classics series. Jockey Stewart Elliott won his first Oklahoma Classics race.
The Oklahoma Classics is a million-dollar night of stakes racing, featuring the top Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds.
Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 16 with the first race at 7:07 pm-central.
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