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Shannon C Finally Gets Best Of Welder In Oklahoma Classics Sprint

Twice last year, Welder, the all-time winningest horse in Remington Park history with 16 victories, had beaten Shannon C. Twice in 2018, Welder was an easy winner over Shannon C.

The fifth time is apparently the charm as Shannon C finally got the best of Welder, who made the final start of his career, running third in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint, presented by The Kaw Nation, on Friday night here.

“Shannon has been an iron horse from Day One,” said trainer Scott Young. “Today was his day. It took a while but he showed why his breeders, Bob and Ted (Smith), breed horses to Miranda Diane. It's come full circle now. He got that Oklahoma Classics win that we've been shooting for, for what? The past four years.”

It was Young's first trip to the winner's circle in an Oklahoma Classics race as well as jockey Leandro Goncalves. Welder broke well, but veered out to the outside after leaving the gate. Shannon C, a 6-year-old gelding by Latent Heat, out of the Fistfite mare Miranda Diane, is a horse that likes to shoot for the front, but did not show that speed Friday night. Goncalves was mystified that Shannon C wasn't on the early lead.

“He is one of the fastest horses out of the gate I've ever ridden, but not tonight,” said Goncalves. “So, I was waiting and when I asked him to run, he just took off and ran like he was the best horse today.”

“Leandro said he had to go to plan B (because of the slow break) and it worked,” Young said.

It was the second stakes win in a row to the versatile Shannon C. He had won the Remington Park Turf Sprint Stakes on Sept. 24. That was a 5-furlong sprint on the grass. Friday night's win was a 6-furlong sprint over the fast main track.

Welder's owner Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash of Claremore, Okla.), before the race had wished Young good luck.

“I'm glad if Welder had to lose it was to this horse,” said Rash. “It's OK. I said before the race that, win or lose, we would be retiring him and we'll stick to that.”

“We knew it was time and we wanted him to retire sound and safe,” said Welder's trainer Teri Luneack. “He has done everything we've ever asked of him and he didn't owe us a thing going into this race.”

Now it seems a horse that Welder had beaten by 4-3/4 lengths, 6-1/4 lengths, 6-1/2 lengths, and a neck, the last four times they faced each other may be the heir apparent as top Oklahoma-bred sprinter on the grounds. Welder had won this race the past three years in a row and was trying to tie Highland Ice and Okie Ride for four wins in this race.

Shannon C drew away impressively at the end, winning by three lengths at 5-1 odds. He paid $12.80, $6.40, and $3.20 across the board. Young trained horses ran 1-2 in the race as Mesa Moon (2-1) held off Welder by one length.

The remaining order of finish in the Classics Sprint was Euromantic (4th), Fast Breakin Cash (5th), No Lak of Speed (6th), Fly to the Bank (7th), and D Toz (8th).

Shannon C earned $78,000 for the win and improved to 27 starts, seven wins, 11 seconds, and two thirds for $368,766 in earnings. He chased early fractions set by Fly to the Bank of :22.15 for the first quarter-mile, :45.30 for the half-mile, :57.68 for five-eighths of a mile, and a final time of 1:10.12. He was bred by B and S Racing of Springfield, Mo., the owner.

The Sprint was the first win in the Oklahoma Classics for all of the connections.

Welder was sent off as the wagering favorite at 4-5 odds in his final race. He finishes his career with 16 wins at Remington Park and a final record of 44 starts, 27 wins, five seconds, and seven thirds for $1,265,031 in earnings. He holds records at Remington Park as the only three-time Horse of the Meet, the six-furlong sprint record of 1:08.13 in the 2019 David M. Vance Stakes, three-time Oklahoma Horse of the Year, the only horse to win four stakes races in one meet at Remington Park, and a record 11 stakes wins in a row here.

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.

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Welder Goes For One More Record Before Calling It A Career

Remington Park's all-time winningest horse, Welder, will be trying to wrap up his career in racing with another record to add to his lengthy record book.

Owner Clayton Rash of Claremore, Okla., and trainer Teri Luneack have indicated that when this millionaire Oklahoma-bred 8-year-old gelding goes to post on Friday, Oct. 15 in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint, sponsored by The Kaw Nation, that it will likely be his final race. The sprint is all part of the night of Oklahoma-bred stars competing in divisional stakes events for $1 million-plus in purse money at the Oklahoma City, Okla., track.

If Welder, a gelded son of The Visualiser, out of the Tiznow mare Dance Softly, wins Friday night it will be his fourth consecutive victory in the Sprint, and it would tie for most wins in this stakes race with Okie Ride and Highland Ice. Highland Ice won four in a row from 1996-1999. Okie Ride won in 2011 and 2012, missed two years, and then returned to the winner's circle in 2015 and 2016.

Welder has won 16 races at Remington Park, more than any other horse since 1988 when the track opened. He was purchased from Mighty Acres Farms in Pryor, Okla., for $6,750 as a yearling and has earned $1,250,731. His record is 43 starts, 27 wins, five seconds, and six thirds. At Remington Park, he has won 16 of 22 times for $876,712.

“I really like his draw (outside 8-post),” said Luneack. “I would like Welder to be remembered as the working man's horse. He made his million the hard way.”

Among other records Welder, the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the race, has set in his career here are:

The only horse to win Remington Park Horse of the Meet more than once. He has received awards as Horse of the Meet in 2018, 2019, and 2020

Three-time Oklahoma Horse of the Year in those same years

Set track record at Remington for 6 furlongs in 1:08.13 in the David M. Vance Stakes on Sept. 29, 2019

Holds record here for most stakes wins in a row – 11. He won two Remington Park Turf Sprints (one on a muddy main track), four wins in the Silver Goblin Stakes, three wins in the Oklahoma Classics Sprint, and two wins in the David M. Vance Stakes.

This year's edition of the Sprint drew eight horses and every horse in the race has been beaten by Welder at least once. Welder was bred in Oklahoma by Center Hills Farm. Mighty Acres is a subsidiary for them.

Mesa Moon (9-2) has been made the second favorite in the race. He is a non-stakes winner and finished behind fourth morning-line favorite Shannon C (6-1) in the Remington Park Turf Sprint last time out. Mesa Moon's record on the dirt is similar to Shannon C's, however. Mesa Moon has won three of six on the main track for $104,543 earned while Shannon C is two of six on dirt with $104,338 banked. The third choice in the morning line is Fast Breakin Cash (5-1) who has made $201,593 on the main track.

Shannon C, a two-time stakes winner, is the second-highest earner in the field with $290,766 banked in 26 starts. Mesa Moon has won $133,345 in 10 starts and Fast Breakin Cash has won $219,849 in 20 tries.

The field for the Sprint from the rail out with horse, jockey, trainer, and odds are:

Fast Breakin Cash, Ramon Vazquez, C.R. Trout, 5-1
No Lak of Speed, Luis Quinonez, Jesse Oberlander, 10-1
Euromantic, Alfredo Triana, Jr., Victor Hanson, 8-1
Shannon C, Leandro Goncalves, Scott Young, 6-1
Fly to the Bank, Carlos Montalvo, James Helzer, 15-1
D Toz, Lane Luzzi, Danny Pish, 20-1
Mesa Moon, Floyd Wethey, Jr., Scott Young, 9-2
Welder, David Cabrera, Teri Luneack, 6-5

The Classics Sprint is the third race of 10 on Oct. 15 with an approximate start time of 8:05 pm. The big night of state-bred stakes events is underway at 7:07 pm. All times are Central.

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Remington’s All-Time Winningest Horse Welder Chasing Third David M. Vance Stakes Title

The greatest indication that this may be the toughest $150,000 David M. Vance Stakes in history Sunday is that Remington Park's all-time winningest horse, Welder, has been made the 7-2 second favorite in the race.

The David M. Vance stakes goes as the 10th race Sunday right before the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, the highlight of an eight-stakes card.

One might wonder what a horse that has won 16 times at Remington Park and twice in the David M. Vance Stakes has to do to be the favorite in the race. Upon further review it is understandable why he is behind 3-1 favorite Greeley and Ben.

First of all, Greeley and Ben beat Welder this summer at Prairie Meadows in Iowa in an open allowance race, sprinting 6 furlongs, the same distance they will run Sunday. Greeley and Ben won that race by two lengths while Welder ran third, a neck behind the runner-up. The counterpoint to that argument is that Welder has lost to horses in Iowa before but those same horses came to Remington Park and couldn't get a sniff of Welder here, losing to him.

Secondly, Greeley and Ben has won eight races in a row, including a stakes-caliber open allowance race at Remington Park on Sept. 4 when he covered 6 furlongs in 1:08.88. Granted, a summer storm was pouring down during this 7-year-old gelding's win here, causing the track to become extremely fast. That still was the fastest time of the meet for that distance. Welder won an allowance race at Remington to etch his name into the record book on Aug. 27, covering 6 furlongs in 1:10.47, but he did it easily without much urging from jockey David Cabrera. Cabrera rode both horses to victory at Remington this fall and has chosen to ride Welder in this Sunday's stakes race.

What makes this race even more interesting is a quote from the trainer of Greeley and Ben prior to the race meet at Remington began. Welder had not won in 2021 until he broke the Remington record in August.

“Welder is a shell of his former self,” said Broberg, who conditions Greeley and Ben for End Zone Athletics of Mansfield, Texas. He backed off that quote somewhat after watching Welder beat Nitrous, a winner of the $125,000 Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds, in his historic victory.

Welder's trainer Teri Luneack, who conditions Remington's history-making 8-year-old gray gelding for owner Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Okla., took the high road and did not respond to that particular quote, but she always loves talking about Welder.

“If he sets more records, that's great for him,” Luneack said. “If he doesn't, that's great for him, too. I don't feel like the horse owes me or us anything. I don't feel he has anything more to prove. You have to remember 99.9 percent of the horses aren't going to run like Welder. Any wins he gives us are a blessing. There's a million ways to lose a race and there's one way to win and all the stars have to align.”

The stars have aligned for Welder 27 times in his career in 42 races for earnings of $1,246,231. Greeley and Ben can't touch him in that category. He has 15 wins from 25 starts with $364,398. Welder has won 15-of-20 starts at Remington while Greeley and Ben will make just his second start here.

Is it really possible that these two could go to post close to their 3-1 and 7-2 odds? It is indeed because this stakes is as deep as it could possibly be. The third favorite is Nitrous (4-1) and he could benefit from his first race when he was coming off a seven-month vacation. If he's more fit and ready for trainer Steve Asmussen's barn, he could close that gap of 1-3/4 lengths in his runner-up finish to Welder on Aug. 27.

Empire of Gold is next at 6-1 in the morning line. He ran fourth in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland in 2020. Three horses at 8-1 certainly deserve recognition and consideration – Long Range Toddy, winner of Remington Park's $400,000 Springboard Mile in 2018 and a participant in the Kentucky Derby that year; Mr Money Bags, who ran two lengths back of Nitrous in the Thanksgiving stakes at Fair Grounds, and Share the Upside, who finished ahead of Welder at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., but then came to Remington Park and couldn't beat him. He is the second entry from Asmussen's barn.

Here's the field for this year's David M. Vance Stakes with post position, horse, jockey, trainer and odds:

Empire of Gold, Sasha Risenhoover, Terry Eoff, 6-1
Bybee, Leandro Goncalves, Eduardo Caramori, 15-1
Nitrous, Ricardo Santana, Jr., Steve Asmussen, 4-1
Long Range Toddy, Jon Court, Dallas Stewart, 8-1
Welder, David Cabrera, Teri Luneack, 7-2
Mr Money Bags, Richard Eramia, Jaylan Clary, 8-1
It Makes Sense, Jose Alvarez, Shawn Davis, 15-1
Greeley and Ben, Joe Talamo, Karl Broberg, 3-1
Share the Upside, Stewart Elliott, Steve Asmussen, 8-1

The Vance is scheduled to leave the starting gate at 7:37p.m. The other stakes races on the derby day program:

Race 4 – $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes, 2yo, six furlongs

Race 6 – $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial, 2-year-old fillies, 6-1/2 furlongs

Race 7 – $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and older, six furlongs

Race 8 – Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1-1/16 miles

Race 9 – $75,000 Ricks Memorial, fillies and mares, 3 and older, 1-1/16 miles (turf)

Race 11 – Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, 3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles

Race 12 – $100,000 Remington Green, 3 and older, 1-1/8 miles (turf)

Racing continues this week with a Thursday-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 every other race night begins at 7:07 p.m. All times are Central.

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Welder Wins Record-Setting 16th Race At Remington Park

The screams from the crowd and Welder's connections reverberated throughout Remington Park as the Oklahoma-bred gelding charged down the stretch Friday on his way to making local racing history.

More than 25,000 horses have raced here since the track opened and before tonight, no horse had ever won 16 races. Welder has now ascended to that throne and it could be a crown he wears for a while. The last time a horse other than Welder won for the 15th time was Highland Ice on Feb. 4, 2000. Welder was tied with Highland Ice and Elegant Exxactsy at 15 wins, until Friday.

Welder, an 8-year-old gelded son of The Visualiser, out of the Tiznow mare Dance Softly, broke out of the gate like a rocket and when he disposed of Gold Speed Go at the top of the stretch, jockey David Cabrera looked back between his legs twice to see if anyone was coming. He was that confident that the record was going to fall. In fact, as Cabrera left the paddock with Welder, he pointed at a fan, winked and said, “We're going to do it.”

The 6-5 post-time favorite from Steve Asmussen's barn, Nitrous, made a late run but he never got closer than 1-3/4 lengths, the final margin. It was the fifth win in a row for Welder at Remington Park.

No one looked happier than trainer Teri Luneack who stood on the edge of the track, applauding with hands held high over her head for the millionaire racehorse that she has conditioned to historic heights. She had waited for this moment for more than eight months since he won here in December.

“This is a huge monkey off my back,” she said after the race. “I really wanted to set this record for Clayton (Rash, owner of Ra-Max Farms in Claremore, Okla.) and Toni (Clayton's wife) and Welder. I'm just glad it's over.”

Welder now adds the accolade of all-time winningest horse at Remington to a list as long as his number of wins, 27 in his career. He also owns these achievements:

Only thoroughbred in Oklahoma horse racing history to win All-Breeds Oklahoma Horse of the Year three years in a row. He has won the past three, a reward from Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma, presented by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.

Was voted Horse of the Meet at Remington Park for a third year in a row (2018-2020). No other thoroughbred has won that award more than once. Welder has swept all four Champion categories he's been in those three years – Horse of the Meet, Okie-bred, Sprinter and Older Male.

Only horse in Remington Park history to win four stakes races in one season (2018)

Set track record for six furlongs in 1:08.13, winning the David M. Vance Stakes on Sept. 29, 2019.

Eleven consecutive stakes wins at Remington Park, a record that is still live. Those 11 stakes wins is also a record for overall stakes wins here. Okie Ride had 10. Welder has won four Silver Goblins, three Oklahoma Classics Sprints, two David M. Vance Stakes, and two Remington Park Turf Sprints (one was taken off the grass and run on a sloppy track).

Where does this record fit for Luneack, who took a minute to do some campaigning.

“I think it would fit right in there with four Horse of the Meets in a row,” she said with a laugh.

Rash had tears in his eyes as he described how much this horse has meant to him. He purchased him for $6,750 as a yearling from Mighty Acres Ranch in Pryor, Okla. Welder earned $27,329 from the purse of the six-furlongs allowance race that carried a value of $42,831.

“Teri and I both liked Welder from the moment we picked him out,” said Rash. “I told her on the way back to the barn (after buying him), 'We're going to name this one Welder.' He was special from his first win.”

Welder ran his record to 42 starts, 27 wins, five seconds and six thirds for $1,246,231 earned. He is one of only eight Oklahoma-breds to have earned more than $1 million in their careers. That list is led by Kip Deville at $3,325,489, followed by 1986 national Horse of the Year Lady's Secret at $3,021,325; Shotgun Kowboy, $1,548,684; Clever Trevor, $1,388,841; Welder; She's All In, $1,102,489; Mr. Ross, $1,091,046, and Silver Goblin, $1,083,895.

Despite all the awards, honors and his legendary status at Remington Park, Welder still was not made the favorite in Friday's race. He went off at 8-5 odds. It was the first time he was not sent off as the favorite at Remington Park since he won the David M. Vance Stakes on Sept. 30, 2018 when he was 7-2. It was somewhat understandable, however, with Welder not winning in three tries in 2021 and facing Nitrous, a horse that had won the $125,000 Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds in New Orleans last November, lost by only a head in the Grade 3, $200,000 Frank DeFrancis Memorial Dash Stakes on Oct. 3, and back in 2019 came close to winning the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes.

“This was a salty race,” said Luneack. “I looked at the overnight and said, 'Oh, boy, we have our hands full.' He broke really well and once I saw how he was into the race, I thought, 'We're going to be Ok.' When he turned for home, I said, 'They're not going to pass him tonight.' “

Welder set fractions of :22.91 seconds for the first quarter-mile, :46.05 for the half-mile and :58.03 for five-eighths of a mile, completing the six furlongs in 1:10.47 over the fast track.

“Welder is just a phenom,” said Luneack. “He's just a very, very special horse and I don't do anything special.”

He paid $5.40 to win, $3 to place and $2.10 to show across the board. Nitrous was another half-length ahead of third-place finisher It Makes Sense (13-1).

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