Quinonez, Run Slewpy Run Combine For Another Win At Remington Park

Owner Mike Jones of Bristow, Okla., and trainer Jesse Oberlander have figured out the key to Run Slewpy Run winning races and it worked again Friday night in the $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial Stakes.

The key is jockey Luis Quinonez.

“Yeah, I've only ridden her three times and I've won all three,” said Quinonez, with a laugh after the 3-year-old filly powered home gate to wire in this 7-1/2 furlongs race on the turf at 5-2 odds.

Run Slewpy Run gave Jones his second win in the past three years in this race, also taking home the trophy in 2019 with Alternative Slew. Randy Oberlander, Jesse's dad, trained that one to the win and Iram Diego rode her.

Run Slewpy Run is a half-sister to Alternative Slew. They both loved the grass and the reason Oberlander and Jones trusted this one to run big in this spot. Both of those turf stakes-winning fillies had Imadancingslew for a dam (mother). She passed away on June 2, 2019. The most amazing stat concerning these two stakes winners is that they show up as Imadancingslew's first two foals. She only had one other, Dancing Devil, who is now a 2-year-old gelding. He has had one start, finishing sixth in a maiden race at Remington.

This 3-year-old filly by Den's Legacy, out of the dam whose sire was Evansville Slew, earned $42,000 for the victory and now has raced eight times with three wins and two seconds for $110,631 in her bankroll. Run Slewpy Run is two-for-two on the turf, winning an allowance race with Quinonez up on Sept. 2 here going the same distance as Friday night. Quinonez's third win in the irons came on Dec. 3, 2020, with Oklahoma-bred 2-year-old fillies, sprinting 6 furlongs on the dirt.

“She broke alert and felt comfortable,” said Quinonez. “She really kicked it on in the stretch when I asked her for what she had left.”

Jesse Oberlander said she likes the turf and she will continue on that surface in the future.

Run Slewpy Run and Machos Vision vied for the early lead and the former took over on the far turn and the latter faded to last. Quinonez let out a notch at the top of the stretch and the lead grew to 1-1/2 lengths before she drew away to win by three lengths. Country Daisy, the 2-1 wagering favorite, came rolling from mid-pack to get up for second, a neck ahead of She's All Wolfe (3-1). Run Slewpy Run paid $7.40 to win, $3.80 to place, and $2.60 to show. She finished in a time of 1:29.21 over the firm going. The early fractions were :24.05 for the first quarter-mile, :48.11 for the half-mile, and then 1:11.89 for three-quarters of a mile. She is a homebred horse by her owner.

The Bob Barry Memorial is named in honor of legendary sports broadcasters Bob Barry, Sr. and Bob Barry Jr. Between the father and son, they covered over 60 years of sports in Oklahoma, winning numerous sportscaster of the year awards.

Run Slewpy Run won the final race of the evening at Remington Park. She completed the Sooner 6ix mandatory payout wager, races 4-9. Those with tickets holding six consecutive winners were paid $5,206.78 each from a betting pool of $151,448 that was coupled with a carryover pool of $46,974.58. The odds for the winning horses in the combination were 7-2, 4-1, 5-2, 3-1, 2-1, and 5-2.

Racing continues this week with a Saturday-Sunday schedule. It's the only Sunday race day of the meet, serving as Oklahoma Derby Day. Post time is 3 p.m. on Sept. 26, while Saturday night begins at 7:07 p.m. All times are Central.

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Quality Rocket Repeats In Red Earth Stakes At Remington

Quality Rocket won his second consecutive $70,000 Red Earth Stakes at 7-1/2 furlongs on the turf Friday night at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. If not for a late runner two years ago, it would have been his third consecutive win in this race.

In that 2019 race, a huge longshot, Timely Reply chased down Quality Rocket in the stretch after the near three-time winner had a two-length lead coming for home in that race. Quality Rocket lost by a neck in that one, but has been perfect in the Red Earth Stakes since. The 7-year-old gelding by Backstabber, out of the King of Scat mare Lady Cambridge, won last year by 4-1/4 lengths with Garrett Steinberg up.

Quality Rocket passed the 9-5 wagering favorite Quarky on Friday night in the stretch to get up by one length with Ramon Vazquez in the saddle for trainer Boyd “Jo-be” Caster.

“He loves to be a racehorse,” said Caster. “and he gets better with age. He's like, 'Line 'em up and let me run.'”

Run, he did. He covered the distance in 1:28.45 over the firm turf, faster than his 1:28.64 that he won in last year. Quality Rocket actually ran even faster when he finished second by a neck. The winner two years ago, Timely Reply, finished in 1:27.69. It was Caster's second win in this stakes race and Vazquez's first. Last year, Quality Rocket won for owner Gerald Ball, who passed away between that race and this one. The gelding is now in the hands of Jeremy D. Ball, Gerald's son, of Shawnee, Okla.

“Yeah, we lost Gerald last year; I'm sure he was watching tonight,” Caster said. “Quality Rocket sure does like the grass. His daddy (Backstabber) did, too. He passed it on to his son.”

Quality Rocket, bred in Oklahoma by Gerald and Oteka Ann Ball, earned $42,000 for the victory and improved his lifetime record to 35 starts, 11 wins, nine seconds, and one third for $409,006 in his bankroll. His turf record is seven starts, three wins, and one second for $181,280. This horse has been versatile for Caster as well. He has won back-to-back $45,000 Route 66 stakes at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Okla., the past two years, at 6-1/2 furlongs on the dirt of a half-mile bullring there. In this year's Route 66 he finished 4-1/2 lengths ahead of Welder, a sprinting Oklahoma-bred millionaire.

Quality Rocket followed up his win in the Red Earth here last year with a victory in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Turf, stretching out to 1-1/16th miles on the grass. Caster said he would likely go in that race again this year, scheduled for Oct. 15.

“Jo-Be just told me not to fight him and let him get comfortable,” said Vazquez. “I had my doubts, yes, about getting past that 2-horse. I was just waiting for my moment and my horse didn't quit.”

Quality Rocket (5-2) returned $7.20 to win, $3.80 to place, and $3.20 to show. Tommyhawk was third at 15-1 odds, 1-3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. The early fractions in the race were :23.22 for the first quarter-mile, :46.62 for the half-mile, and 1:10.48 for three-quarters of a mile.

Racing continues this week with a Saturday-Sunday schedule. It's the only Sunday race day of the meet, serving as Oklahoma Derby Day. Post time is 3 p.m. on Sept. 26, while Saturday night begins at 7:07 p.m.

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Shannon C Finally Gets The Win In Remington Park Turf Sprint

There was no one more excited to see that Welder was not entered for this year's $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint Stakes than the connections of Shannon C, this year's winner on Friday night.

Four times in his career, Shannon C had finished second to Remington Park's all-time winningest horse, Welder, in stakes races, including by only a neck in the Remington Park Turf Sprint Stakes last year. Shannon C has been to Welder what Alydar was to Affirmed or Sham to Secretariat, the ultimate of runners-up of stakes quality. Shannon C had a three-race winning streak going as a 3-year-old, including the $30,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, his only other stakes win before Friday night. Then he ran into Welder for the first time. He was beaten 4-3/4 lengths in second of the 2018 $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint and the $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes, losing by 6-1/4 lengths as the bridesmaid. He also watched in second as Welder won the $55,000 TRAO Classic Sprint in 2020 at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., losing by 6-1/2 lengths. His final silver medalist run to Welder came in last year's version of this race.

“We've been chasing Welder a long time,” said Shannon C's trainer Scott Young. “We thought we had him last year in this race and then he got us by a neck.”

Welder, a winner of an unprecedented 16 races at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., lifetime, opted to run in Sunday's $150,000 David M. Vance Stakes on Oklahoma Derby Day. Young and jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr., couldn't be happier.

“He's been taking swings at giants,” said Wethey. “This horse knows what he's doing. I'm proud of him. It finally worked out.”

Young seconded that.

“He's fast,” Young said of Shannon C. “When it's his day, it's his day.”

Wethey kept the 6-year-old gelded son of Latent Heat, out of the Fistfite stakes-winning mare Miranda Diane, in perfect position, sitting just off the shoulder of front-runner Denver City, the even-money betting favorite. Broodmare Miranda Diane was a multiple stakes winner in her career.

When they came to the wire, Denver City had faded to fourth and Shannon C (2-1) was able to hold off the closing No Lak of Speed (10-1) in second by a neck. Those two had run second and third in this race last year behind Welder, so it was almost an exact replay. Getting up for third was Pomeroy Haze (8-1), a half-length back of No Lak of Speed. Shannon C paid $6.20 to win, $3.60 to place and $2.60 to show.

Owned by B and S Racing (Robert Smith) of Springfield, Mo., Shannon C earned $42,000 for the win in the 5 furlongs sprint on the grass. He improved his record to 26 starts, six wins, 11 seconds, and two thirds for $290,766. That is a ton of money earned from those runner-up spots and only six trips to the winner's circle.

Shannon C covered the distance in :56.05 over the firm turf. The early fractions were :21.34 for the first quarter-mile and a blistering :43.91 after a half-mile. Shannon C was bred in Oklahoma by his owner.

This is the first win in the Remington Park Turf Sprint for owner B and S Racing and for jockey Floyd Wethey. Shannon C gave trainer Scott Young his second win in the race as he also saddled Devious Runner to victory in 2016.

Racing continues this week with a Saturday-Sunday schedule. It's the only Sunday race day of the meet, serving as Oklahoma Derby Day. Post time is 3 p.m. on Sept. 26, while Saturday night begins at 7:07 p.m. All times Central.

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Racing ‘Rookie’ Speaker’s Corner Ready To Step Up In Pennsylvania Derby

The rookie of the Pennsylvania Derby, experience wise, is Godolphin Racing's Speaker's Corner.

When the son of Street Sense enters the starting gate for the Grade 1, $1 million race, it will be just the fourth start for Speaker's Corner and second this year. All of the eight other runners have more race day experience.

Of the other Derby runners, two of them – I Am Redeemed and Americanrevolution – will be making the Pennsylvania Derby their fifth career start.

The lack of seasoning might be cause for concern to those who like Speaker's Corner, but that anxiety should dissipate when you see who is training him. Hall of Famer Bill Mott is not sending Speaker's Corner to Parx because he wants to load up on Philly Cheese Steaks.

Speaker's Corner's highly anticipated return to the races came Aug. 14 at Saratoga in an allowance, a seven-furlong race he won easily by 5 ¼ lengths.

“It was everything we expected and a little bit more,” Mott said. “I was happy with it, for sure. I wasn't sure if the seven-eighths would be enough ground for him. I thought they would run him off his feet a little bit early in the race.”

That didn't happen. The talent the colt showed as a 2-year-old was still there despite a long layoff. He broke his maiden in his second start last October at Belmont and some of the horses he beat that day included Caddo River, Greatest Honour, Miles D and Pennsylvania Derby rival Bourbonic.

After that, an ankle injury put him on the equine disabled list for a while and a spring-time virus that went through Mott's barn delayed his return even longer.

It was worth the wait. Mott is asking him to take a gigantic step forward as he tries graded stakes company for the first time.

“We have always felt we belonged with this group,” Mott said. “We have the one race under our belt and it's working out well.”

Speaker's Corner, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, is 12-1 on the Derby morning line.

Mott will also saddle Juddmonte's Obligatory in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin finished fifth in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga in her last start on Aug. 7.

“The big thing about her is that it is a two-turn test,” Mott said about the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion.

“We know she's quite effective at seven-eighths and a flat mile at one turn. This is a bit of a fact-finding mission for us to figure out if the configuration of the race is going to suit her. We'll see.”

Ortiz also has the mount on Obligatory, who is 10-1 on the Cotillion morning line.

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