Number One Dude Dominant In Jim Thorpe At Remington

Number One Dude solidified his dominance as arguably the top Oklahoma-bred in training as he won the $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes by open daylight on Friday night at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Owner-breeder Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla., said his only concern was the long layoff for his 3-year-old gelded son of American Lion, out of the Macho Uno mare Ebony Uno. Number One Dude had been off since Oct. 15 when he ran second in the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup to multiple-time winner at Remington this meet, Absaroka.

Number One Dude has now won four Oklahoma-bred stakes races at Remington Park and one at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla. His overall record improved to 10 starts, six victories, and two seconds for $276,843. He earned $42,000 from this purse.

He was purchased by Westemeir when the owner bought Number One Dude's dam (mom) Ebony Uno and she was in foal with him. Westemeir was trying to figure out how to break the news to his wife Leslie that he had bought not only one horse, but another one yet to come.

“She didn't want me to buy one, let alone two,” Westemeir said. “She's good now.”

Regardless of what the undisclosed purchase price was, it couldn't have been close to what he has earned on the track. Number One Dude broke his maiden at Remington Park as a 2-year-old on Sept. 18, 2020. He won that race by 7 1/2 lengths. He followed that up with victories in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and the $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes on Oct. 16 and Nov. 13, respectively, last year. The margins of victory in those two were one length and six lengths.

An abscess developed and was found after he was soundly defeated in the $200,000 Springboard Mile to finish the 2020 meet, running eighth, and he was given time off before his next start at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The layoff showed as he could do no better than fifth, beaten 13 lengths in open allowance 3-year-olds company there on May 9 this spring.

After winning the $55,000 Will Rogers Stakes on May 25 by 5 1/4 lengths, he had a quick trip to Iowa and Prairie Meadows before returning to his home base at Remington Park. Once he got back to Oklahoma City, he became a monster again.

He won the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes by seven lengths on Sept. 10 here and then was the runner-up to Absaroka prior to this race. Number One Dude, a beautiful dark bay, almost black, then had the short vacation.

“I was concerned about the lack of a race since the Classics Cup,” Westemeir said. “I have to give credit to (trainer) Kari (Craddock) and her crew, Jeremy Collier and exercise rider Keith Bilbey, (jockey) Leandro (Goncalves), and everyone else for getting him ready off of works.”

Number One Dude sat just off the shoulder of front-runner Salt Creek Kid all down the backstretch. When the pacesetter began to fade to last, the Craddock charge took over and drew away by seven lengths as the heavy wagering favorite at 2-5 odds.

Tap the Dot was second at 3-1 and You'reobadboy finished third, another half-length behind at 27-1.

Number One Dude showed his tactical speed behind early fractions of :24.76 for the first quarter-mile, :49.69 for the half-mile, 1:14.84 for three-quarters of a mile, and 1:27.51 for seven furlongs, finishing the mile in 1:40.25 over the fast track. He paid $2.80 to win, $2.10 to place, and $2.10 to show.

The Jim Thorpe Stakes is named after the native Oklahoman and Olympic gold-medalist who was considered the greatest athlete of the 20th century.

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Dont Tell Noobody Chasing Repeat In Friday’s Oklahoma Classics Cup

The $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup, powered by TVG, drew the defending champ Dont Tell Noobody and five others this morning in the Remington Park racing office. The 4-year-old is searching for a return to his brightest moment as he seeks his first victory this year.

The Classics Cup is the richest race on the $1 million night of stakes races for Oklahoma-breds that is the Oklahoma Classics.

Owned by Remington Park's all-time leading owner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla., Dont Tell Noobody will make his third start of the current season for trainer Federico Villafranco. A gelding by Cyber Secret from the Cactus Ridge mare Yucca, Dont Tell Noobody has put forth a pair of third-place efforts in September to prep for the Cup. Jockey Ramon Vazquez has the mount who is the third-favorite in the morning-line odds at 5-1.

The morning-line favorite is the youngest horse in the field, 3-year-old Number One Dude, at 3-2 odds. Owned by Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla., and trained by Kari Craddock, Number One Dude is the top stakes winner in the Cup with four black-type wins under his belt. The 3-year-old gelded son of American Lion, out of the Macho Uno mare Ebony Uno, will try to add the Cup to his stakes win earlier this season in the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes at seven furlongs. The Cup is at 1-1/16 miles and will be the longest attempt of 10 career races for Number One Dude who will be ridden by Leandro Goncalves.

Absaroka is the second choice in the morning line at 8-5 odds. Owned by Cowboy Stables of Clinton, Okla. and trained by C.R. Trout, the 5-year-old by Flat Out from the Brahms mare Wanton Song will be ridden by David Cabrera. Absaroka won his second consecutive race of the season here when he scored in an allowance event on Sept. 23 by 4-3/4 lengths going one mile.

Great Faces was the runner-up to Absaroka on Sept. 23, he will attempt the Classics Cup for the first time for trainer Donnie Von Hemel. Owned by Jack Schuyler and Kevin Keiser of Winner, S.D., Great Faces will be ridden by Richard Eramia, and is searching for his first win of the season, and 2021.

The Oklahoma Classics Cup will go as the sixth race of 10 on Friday, Oct. 15, starting approximately at 9:32pm. Here is the field by program and post-position order, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Absaroka: C.R. Trout, David Cabrera, 8-5
2. Dont Tell Noobody: Federico Villafranco, Ramon Vazquez, 5-1
3. Tonaltalitarian: Scott Young, Floyd Wethey, Jr., 20-1
4. United Patriot: Larry Frazee, Jose Alvarez, 20-1
5. Great Faces: Donnie Von Hemel, Richard Eramia, 6-1
6. Number One Dude: Kari Craddock, Leandro Goncalves, 3-2 (morning-line favorite)

The Oklahoma Classics Night begins at 7:07pm. All times are Central.

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Derby Prep: Undefeated Hometown Hero Number One Dude Tops Nominees To Springboard Mile

Locally undefeated hometown hero Number One Dude was one of 35 horses nominated to race in the $200,000 Springboard Mile on Friday, Dec. 18, as well as four horses that ran in Breeders' Cup races.

The Springboard Mile is the cornerstone race for 2-year-old Thoroughbreds annually at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, and carries important Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the 2021 start of the Triple Crown series. Horses running first through fourth place in the Springboard Mile accumulate points (10-4-2-1). Long Range Toddy gained 10 points in the 2018 Springboard Mile and earned his way into the Kentucky Derby field.

The race has been won by the nation's leading trainer, Steve Asmussen, six times since its inception in 2001. Jockeys of national acclaim pepper the history of the Springboard with victories, riders such as Victor Espinoza, Luis Saez, Ricardo Santana, Miguel Mena, Brian Hernandez, Jon Court and Jeremy Rose. Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer and Remington Park's all-time leading jockey Cliff Berry (2,125 wins here) has won the Springboard the most with three victories.

“We knew Remington Park would draw the very best 2-year-olds for the Springboard Mile,” said owner-breeder of Number One Dude, Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla. “Having one (horse) to nominate in good faith for the race is like living the dream right now.”

Westemeir utilizes the services of trainer Kari Craddock for this horse, and jockey Ezekiel Lara has ridden him in two of his three wins.

“Kari will have him well prepared and Dude will be game,” said Westemeir.

Number One Dude broke his maiden with Oklahoma-bred maiden special weight horses, going 5-1/2 furlongs, winning easily by 7-1/2 lengths on Sept. 18. He was entered in two subsequent stakes races – the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Oct. 16 and the $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes on Nov. 13 – and won both of them. The Juvenile was at six furlongs for Oklahoma-breds and he finished one length ahead at the wire. Richard Eramia rode him to that win when Lara was sidelined with a minor injury. When Number One Dude raced around two turns for the first time, he blew them away by six lengths at the Springboard Mile distance on a muddy track.

A start in the Springboard Mile would be the first outside of Oklahoma-bred company for Number One Dude.

The four horses nominated for the Springboard coming from the Breeders' Cup races are:

· Cowan, second-place runner in the Grade 2, $1 million BC Juvenile Turf Sprint, owner William and Corinne Heligbrodt, Madaket Stables and Spendthrift Farm.

· Outadore, third-place finisher in the Grade1, $1 million BC Juvenile Turf, owner Breeze Easy, trainer Wesley Ward.

· Sittin On Go, ninth in the Grade 1, $2 million BC Juvenile, after winning the Grade 3, $200,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, owned by Albaugh Family Stables and trained by Dale Romans.

· Camp Hope, a Churchill Downs maiden winner that ran 12th of 14 in the BC Juvenile, owned by Walking L Thoroughbreds, trained by Ken McPeek.

The noms also include local stakes winner Game Day Play, winner of the $60,000 Clever Trevor Stakes here on Oct. 30 at seven furlongs. He is owned by Tom Durant and trained by Bret Calhoun. Lindey Wade rode him to victory in that stakes race.

Brad Cox, second-leading trainer in the country behind Asmussen in money earned, has the most horses nominated with five – Caddo River, Gagetown, Inspector Frost, Joe Frazier and Swill. Asmussen's horses have earned a little more than $19 million this year while Cox runners have garnered $18 million-plus.

The Springboard Mile will headline a stakes-laden card on Dec. 18. Also on tap that night:

– $75,000 She's All In Stakes, older fillies & mares, 1 mile-70 yards

– $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3-year-old Oklahoma-breds, 1 mile

– $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred fillies, 1 mile

– $60,000 Trapeze Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile

– $60,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile-70 yards

Remington Park racing continues Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 & 12 with the first race nightly at 7:07pm-Central.

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