Pacific Typhoon first won the $130,000 OKC Turf Classic, presented by Choctaw Nation, in 2017, when he was a 4-year-old. Fast forward to 2021, the now 8-year-old gelding enjoyed a youthful resurgence to win the event a second time at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Owned by Carol Nelson of Mannford, Okla., Pacific Typhoon has made six consecutive starts in the Turf Classic (2016-2021), winning twice, running second (2018), fourth (2020), fifth (2016), and 10th (2019). A son by Don't Get Mad from the Stormy Atlantic mare My Stormy Elaine, Pacific Typhoon used his front-running style to perfection, finding enough stamina to lead throughout and then pull away once challenged down the stretch.
After setting early fractions of :23.95 for the quarter-mile, :48.58 for the half-mile, 1:12.89 for three quarters of a mile, and then 1:37.78 for one mile, Pacific Typhoon was tested in the stretch by Quarky who had followed him around the firm course, before pulling within a head of the leader. Pacific Typhoon found more to get away late to a 1-1/2 length victory under jockey Lane Luzzi.
“It was almost like he was waiting for some company,” Luzzi noted. “He had his ears pricked down the backside the whole way. Once he was engaged a little bit, he turned on to a gear that I didn't know he had until about the eighth pole. For me, it was a real thrill.”
Trained by Austin Gustafson, Pacific Typhoon crossed the finish in 1:44.20. Quarky held second while Khola was a rallying third, 2-1/4 lengths back.
Dismissed in the betting at 40-1 odds, Pacific Typhoon paid $83 to win, $30.60 to place, and $22 to show. Quarky (2-1) returned $4.20 to place and $3 to show. Khola (6-1) paid $5.60 to show.
The remaining order of finish in the Turf Classic was Half Ours to Keep (4th), Sweet Medicine (5th), Morhawk (6th), Quality Rocket, the beaten wagering favorite at 3-2 odds (7th), Gospel Musketeer (8th), Georgia Deputy (9th), Yip Yip Kip (10th), and Tommyhawk (11th).
The Turf Classic win was the 11th career score for Pacific Typhoon from 50 starts with four seconds and six thirds. He made $78,000 for his second win in the event to boost his lifetime earnings to $406,183.
Veronica Griggs trained Pacific Typhoon when he won the Turf Classic in 2017. The gelding was bred in Oklahoma by Clark Brewster of Tulsa, Okla.
The Turf Classic win was the second for owner Nelson. It was the first in the race and in the Oklahoma Classics for Gustafson. Luzzi won his second career Oklahoma Classics race by scoring his first Turf Classic.
The Oklahoma Classics is a $1,000,000 series of stakes races devoted to Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds.
Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 16 with the first race at 7:07 pm Central.
The post Pacific Typhoon Wins Second OKC Turf Classic, Four Years After His First appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
