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.
The post Shannon C Finally Gets The Win In Remington Park Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
