Tag: Racing

The field for the Oklahoma Classics Cup, powered by FanDuel TV, has been set with two past winners of the race included in the field of six for the 1-1/16 miles main event on Friday, Oct. 20 at Remington Park.

Returning Classics Cup champ That's Something and Absaroka, winner in 2021, will face four others in the $131,000 guaranteed race for Oklahoma-breds, 3-year-olds and older. Number One Dude, second to That's Something in the Cup a year ago, has received morning-line favoritism at 8-5 odds. Ghost Hero, the pace-setter before tiring to 10^th in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby in September, is the very close second-favorite in the morning line at 9-5 odds. That's Something checks in as third favorite at odds of 5-2.

Number One Dude is still searching for his first win of the season after a fourth-place effort in open company in the $100,000 Governor's Cup on opening night of the Remington Park season. The 5-year-old owned by Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla. and trained by Scott Young, then finished second in the Red Earth Stakes on Sept. 22 against fellow Oklahoma-breds over the turf, beaten by seasoned grass veteran Tap the Dot.

Leandro Goncalves has his normal mount on Number One Dude who also ran second in the 2021 Classics Cup behind Absaroka.

Ghost Hero returns to face Oklahoma-breds for the first time since winning the Will Rogers Stakes at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla. on May 8. The 3-year-old owned by Norman Stables of Thomasville, Ala. and trained by Jayde Gelner has been competitive in open company stakes action since that score. He ran fourth in the Texas Derby in late May at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, then third in the Hilton Memorial at Charles Town in West Virginia in August before his tiring 10^th in the Oklahoma Derby.

A colt by Shaman Ghost from the Super Saver mare Queen Buxley, Ghost Hero has posted a pair of workouts since his Oklahoma Derby attempt to ready for the Classics Cup. Regular jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr. will have the mount. Ghost Hero is undefeated in Oklahoma-bred stakes company at Remington Park, winning the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and the Don McNeill Stakes last year as a 2-year-old.

Owner and trainer Lynn Chleborad will saddle That's Something, attempting to have the first repeat winner in the Classics Cup since Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer Shotgun Kowboy won his third straight Cup in 2019. The 6-year-old gelding by Read the Footnotes from the Concern broodmare Cherokee Princess has raced twice this season at Remington Park. He sprinted six furlongs on Sept. 14, finishing third in his first race off a layoff of nearly 10 months. A turf attempt at 7-1/2 furlongs on Sept. 22 produced a fifth-place effort in the Red Earth Stakes, 6-3/4 lengths behind Tap the Dot and 5-1/4 lengths behind Number One Dude. Jockey Luis Quinonez will have his regular spot on That's Something.

Absaroka, finished a distant eighth, beaten 21-1/4 lengths by That's Something last year in the Classics Cup. The denial in his attempt to repeat victory in the race was also his last attempt against Oklahoma-breds. He recently finished third in a $20,000-level claiming event at Remington Park on Sept. 27. Trained by J.R. Caldwell since being claimed in April for $5,000 at Will Rogers Downs, Absaroka will gain the riding expertise of Remington Park's leading jockey, Stewart Elliott.

Number One Dude is the top earner in the Classics Cup with $465,700 bankrolled. He shares the honor for most career wins in this race with Absaroka, both have visited the winner's circle nine times.

The field by post-position and program order for the Oklahoma Classics Cup, with horse, jockey, trainer and morning-line odds:

1. Kwontro: Alfredo Triana, Jr., Pat Swan, 12-1
2. Ghost Hero: Floyd Wethey, Jr., Jayde Gelner, 9-5
3. I'm Crenshaw: Lindey Wade, Federico Villafranco, 15-1
4. Absaroka: Stewart Elliott, J.R. Caldwell, 8-1
5. That's Something: Luis Quinonez, Lynn Chleborad, 5-2
6. Number One Dude: Leandro Goncalves, Scott Young, 8-5 (morning-line favorite)

The Classics Cup will be race nine of 10 on the Oklahoma Classics Night, celebrating Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds. The scheduled post will be 11:05pm. The first race of the night is set for 7:07pm. All times are Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $331 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park is home to the Oklahoma Classics, the top night of racing in the state for Oklahoma-breds, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

The post Number One Dude Made Slight Morning-Line Favorite For Oklahoma Classics Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Nutella Fella, the 54-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, will not start again until 2024. Trainer Gary Contessa told bloodhorse.com that the 2-year-old son of Runhappy will be out of training until at least January with a hairline fracture in his left hind ankle.

“It acted like a foot bruise, but we still immediately X-rayed the leg, and X-rays were clean as a whistle. Yet, it just didn't respond (to treatment) like a foot bruise, and it acted like more,” Contessa told bloodhorse.com. “Dr. (Luis) Castro and I wanted to get a more definitive X-ray and we sent him for a CAT scan at New Bolton Center (in Pennsylvania). Sure enough, that was a great move, because they did the scan yesterday and found a hairline fracture in the ankle.”

The colt will not likely need surgery, Contessa said.

Nutella Fella won his debut in a maiden special weight race at Delaware Park on July 26, clearing his rivals by 2 1/4 lengths and stopping the clock in 1:05.55 for 5 1/2 furlongs on the fast dirt track. Ridden by Junior Alvarado in the G1 Hopeful on Sept. 4, the colt broke slowly and was last down the backstretch. Nutella Fella made up all the ground late to win by 1 1/2 lengths, recording a final time of 1:24.41 for seven furlongs on fast dirt.

Out of the placed Candy Ride mare Krissy's Candy, Nutella Fella was a $12,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale. He is owned by Bell Gable Stable LLC.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

The post Hopeful Winner Nutella Fella Out Of Action Until January With Hairline Fracture appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Elusive Princess (FR) announced her arrival in North America with authority on Aug. 4 at Saratoga when she romped to a 3¼-length victory as the favorite in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) as the favorite going 1 3/16 miles.

On Saturday, she will try to make another authoritative statement when she goes to the gate in the 40^th running of the $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana to be run at 1 1/8 miles over the Keeneland turf course.

“She got here last night and trained this morning,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said of the 3-year-old filly, who came into his barn following her victory at Saratoga. “We picked her up the day after she won at Saratoga and took her to Fair Hill (Training Center in Maryland) and that gave us two months to get ready for here.”

Delacour took over the training of the filly from Jean-Philippe Dubois, who also bred and owned Elusive Princess.

“The ownership (LNJ Foxwoods, NK Racing and Anthony Munafo) did not change and the trainer kept a share (as Ecurie Victoria Dreams),” Delacour said. “I am lucky to get the opportunity. She is an exciting prospect.”

Delacour likes what he has seen from the Martinborough (JPN) filly who is Group 1-placed this year in France.

“She was very impressive at Saratoga and she is very efficient,” Delacour said. “Her last race in Europe (the Group 1 Prix de Diane run at 1 5/16 miles) she showed a big turn of foot and made a big run to finish fifth from far back.”

Turf conditions for the Prix de Diane were labeled good to soft and Elusive Princess caught soft conditions at Saratoga.

“She likes a little bit of cut (softness) in the ground, and I'd like to get that again Saturday,” Delacour said.

Overnight showers Friday into Saturday morning are forecast.

In addition to Elusive Princess, the QE II attracted European invaders Mawj (IRE), Sounds of Heaven (GB) and Elounda Queen (IRE).

“This is not a typical end-of-the-year race in that a lot of horses are coming in fresh,” Delacour said. “Mawj has not run since May (in winning the Group 1 One Thousand Guineas), and Sounds of Heaven hasn't run since the end of July (in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild). This is a tough race and a solid group.”

Flavien Prat, who has ridden the past two QE II winners in Shantisara (IRE) in 2021 and Gina Romantica last year, retains the mount on Elusive Princess on Saturday.

The post ‘Exciting Prospect’: Dominating Saratoga Oaks Winner Elusive Princess Will Make First Start For Arnaud Delacour In QEII appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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