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BATTLE OF SEXES GOES TO D FINE OKIE, WINNING THE 2007 $100,000 CLASSIC
Courtesy Remington Park Media Relations
The 15th Oklahoma Classics night of stakes races provided tremendous performances on September 29 at Remington Park as the top Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds battled for state championship honors. The eight-race series, worth total purses of $500,000, was headlined by the $100,000 Thoroughbred Racing Radio Network Classic.
D Fine Okie became the first female since 1996 to win the top offering on Oklahoma Classics night, defeating five male rivals including three-time Classic winner Zee Oh Six and two-time winner George Taylor.
$100,000 TRRN CLASSIC
Saturday, September 29 was almost 34 years to the night when the first ‘Battle of the Sexes’ took place. In that national event at the Houston Astrodome, Billie Jean King upset Bobby Riggs in a tennis match that did wonders for the women’s movement. It has only been a few months since another ‘Battle of the Sexes’ took place in the Belmont Stakes. Rags to Riches became the first filly in more than 100 years to win the Belmont when she edged Curlin in June during the final jewel of racing’s Triple Crown.
Saturday night, Oklahoma’s version of the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ pitted Zee Oh Six and D Fine Okie in the $100,000 TRRN Classic, with two of the best Oklahoma-breds to set foot on the Remington Park track going head to head in a King-Riggs style war. Zee Oh Six, an 8-year-old gelding, was going for a record fourth victory in the Classic if he could beat
the female, 5-year-old mare D Fine Okie. Instead, Zee Oh Six remains tied with Oklahoma-bred millionaire Mr Ross as he could not answer D Fine Okie’s challenge once she pulled alongside him at the top of the stretch.
King’s magic, Rags to Riches’ mojo and lady luck were in the air as D Fine Okie, owned by the Richter Family Trust of Perkins, Okla. and trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel, broke Zee Oh Six’s heart and ruined his chances to move ahead of Mr Ross. She overtook the front-running Zee Oh Six at the top of the stretch and cruised home by 1 3-4 lengths as the 4-5 wagering favorite. She finished ahead of a fast-closing Aisle Two, who finished another 2-1/4 lengths ahead of Zee Oh Six.
D Fine Okie, a daughter of Burbank, out of the Dynaformer mare Dynafine, covered the 1-1/16 miles over the fast track in 1:43.93. Regular rider Don Pettinger was aboard for the win. D Fine Okie earned $60,000 for her connections and is now 13-for-32 lifetime, winning 9-of-15 at Remington Park. Her bankroll is $433,085 after taking the win.
“We went into this race thinking that we would concede the lead to Zee Oh Six and let my mare do what she wants,” Pettinger said. “She placed me second on her own. I was just biding my time to see if I could run him down. My mare is real gutty and always tries hard.”
Von Hemel was a bit worried when he saw Zee Oh Six running on an easy lead into the backstretch. “That’s when he is the hardest to beat,” said Remington’s all-time winningest trainer. “D Fine Okie laid down in the stretch and put in a big effort to get the job done.”
he mare paid $3.80, $2.60 and $2.10 across the board. Aisle Two returned $5 and $2.40 and Zee Oh Six paid $2.10 to show. The Classic was D Fine Okie’s third win in the Oklahoma Classics races, adding to her victories in the 2004 Lassie and last year’s Filly & Mare Turf.
Belle of Cozzene was the last female to win the Classic, taking the honors in 1996.
$60,000 FILLY AND MARE TURF
Rosemaui took dead aim on her competition, turning for home and flew away to a resounding victory of 2-1/4 lengths as the even-money favorite. Ramsey Zimmerman was aboard to boot home the winner for owner Merle Medcalf of Choctaw, Okla. and trainer Joe Offolter.
“Mr. Offolter said the key was getting her to relax,” said Zimmerman. “He said she would take a pretty good hold starting out. I was ready for her and braced against her a bit. She was tough for about a half-mile and then relaxed for me perfectly. She had them hands down from then on.”
Rosemaui covered the 7-1/2 furlongs on the turf in 1:31.95 and paid $4.20 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.10 to show. Beata finished second and paid $3.6 to place and $2.40 to show. Asari ran third and paid $2.80 to show.
Rosemaui, a 4-year-old filly by Austinpower (JPN) from the Presto Lad mare Orange Blossom Sp., earned $36,000 for her efforts and improved her record to 16 starts, 3 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds for a bankroll of $107,023.
Both Offolter and Zimmerman picked up their first Classics wins with Rosemaui.
$50,000 JUVENILE
Picaso brought back memories of 1996 when he fought with all his heart to hold off Noggin in a battle to the wire. Picaso is a 2-year-old gelding by Alphabet Soup, who pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the sport of horse racing when he won the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Woodbine Racetrack, defeating the legendary Cigar in the process.
Picaso, a chestnut owned by Blossom Racing Stable LLC and Bob Spring of Highland Village, Texas, didn’t exactly look like his daddy, who was almost solid white, but he showed the same heart, spirit and determination to the wire in this 6-furlong sprint. The winning time was 1:11.19. Jockey Richard Eramia was in the irons for the victory.
Picaso was sent off as the 4-5 wagering favorite and paid $3.80 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.60 to show. Noggin, who had chased Picaso to the wire in the two horses’ first lifetime race, losing then by a head, was second in this race, too. Noggin finished 1-1/4 lengths behind the winner and paid $4 to place and $2.60 to show. Cryptographer ran third, two lengths farther back and paid $2.80 to show. . The $2 exacta combo paid $13.
“From the moment we saw this horse, he was the most beautiful horse,” said Jean Ann Stany of Blossom Racing Stable. “We named him Picaso for that reason. From that moment on, he has done nothing but make us proud.”
“The race was perfect,” said trainer Joyce Salisbury. “He broke out and had a clean trip. Richard was sitting perfect; he moved when I told him to move. Thank God he had enough at the end.”
The Picaso win was the first in the Classics for Salisbury. Eramia won for the second time in the series. He is out of the Prosper Fager mare Break Through.
$60,000 CHEROKEE CASINO SPRINT
Garbu Road gave Zimmerman his second win of the night and in the Classics, as he outlasted race favorite Marq French and drawing off to a 2-3/4 lengths win in the Cherokee Casino Sprint.
Owned by Rachel Curtis of Maramec, Okla. and trained by Ricky Gustafson, Garbu Road was one of the few non-race favorites to win on this Classics night. Garbu Road, 3-1 at post time, sprinted home in a swift 1:09.42 in the six-furlong sprint.
A 4-year-old gelded son of Garbu, out of the Haymarket (GB) mare, Little Nannie Mae, won for the fourth time in only nine attempts. It was also his second win in three races over the Remington Park surface. The Sprint was the first stakes win for the gelding, earning $36,000 to pad his lifetime earnings to $102,990.
Garbu Road returned $8.40 to win, $3.40 to place and $3 to show. Marq French, the beaten 3-2 wagering favorite, was second and paid $2.60 to place and $2.60 to show. Explosive Okie rounded out the top three and paid $3 to show.
$60,000 T’BRED RACING ASSOC. OF OKLAHOMA TURF
Notable Okie moved into second place by himself in Classics Night wins with his fourth in the series. He won the Juvenile as a 2-year-old in 2002 and now has won back-to-back-to-back races in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Turf. Jockey Don Pettinger settled back in the pack before making a strong move after six furlongs in the one-mile race on the grass.
Notable Okie passed six horses on his way to the finish line for the victory. Going off as the 3-2 favorite, he didn’t disappoint. Pettinger guided Notable Okie to the outside as they approached the top of the stretch before moving down the middle of the course to blitz the competition and leave them in their wake.
The 7-year-old son of Editor’s Note from the Rahy mare Fly Love was the first of two winners for the Richter Family Trust on Saturday and was one of three victories for trainer Von Hemel. He equaled his success in last year’s Classics when he also won three.
“He ran an excellent race,” said Von Hemel. “If we only ran this horse once a year and this was the race, I think it would be worth it.”
Notable Okie paid $5 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.80 to show. Some Quick ran second and paid $7 to place and $5.40 to show. Artic Heat finished third to pay $6 to show. Running time for the mile over firm turf was 1:37.71.
Notable Okie won for the ninth time in 38 career starts. All nine of his victories have come at Remington Park, where he has started 21 times. The Turf winner’s share of $36,000 boosted his career earnings to $307,129.
His fourth Oklahoma Classics victory puts him behind only one other, the great Classics sprinter Highland Ice who won five of the races from 1995-1999.
$60,000 FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
Annieville kept the Ladies’ Night theme going as she won with Remington’s all-time winningest female jockey up, Nena Matz, for female trainer Kari Craddock, taking the inaugural Oklahoma Classics Filly & Mare Sprint.
At 3-1 odds, the 5-year-old Annieville paid $8.40 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.10 to show. She covered 6-1/2 furlongs in 1:17.29 and beat odds-on favorite Carsoncityprospect by 2-3/4 lengths. Zippie Okie finished third, a nose behind the runner-up.
Carsoncityprospect paid $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Zippie Okie paid $2.20 to show.
Annieville, by Reel on Reel from the Tyrant mare Tyrosa, came from dead last to rally past her competitors to win. She has won six races in 24 starts for her owner and breeder, Ralph Bruner of Tulsa. The winner’s share of $36,000 increased Annieville’s lifetime total to $129,003.
$50,000 JUVENILE FILLIES
Nakali was the winner among the younger set of 2-year-olds females, taking the MEC Lassie by 3-1/2 lengths. Ridden to victory by Quincy Hamilton for owner Don Nutt of Duncan, Okla. and trainer Joe Petalino, Nakali went off the second wagering favorite at 6-5 odds. She defeated the post-time even-money favorite, Approved Bluff.
Nakali returned $4.40 to win, $2.20 to place and $2.10 to show. Approved Bluff paid $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. Tellmewhat was the show horse, paying $2.80.
It was only Nakali’s second race of her career after finishing second in a maiden race here in August. The 2-year-old daughter of Wertaloona fro the Rivergo mare Nanique added $30,000 to her bankroll and has now earned $36,024 in two tries.
$60,000 OTA DISTAFF
Midsummer Magic proved to be early autumn gold as she gave Pettinger a riding triple in the Classics races, winning the Oklahoma Thoroughbred Association Distaff. The score gives Pettinger 21 career Oklahoma Classics victories.
The 3-year-old filly by Pure Prize from the Private Terms mare Lovely Tasha virtually went wire-to-wire in the 1 mile- 70 yard race for the Stillwater, Okla. partnership of owners Joe Alexander, Norma Stockseth and Donnie K. Von Hemel. Her win brought back $7.80 to win, $3.40 to place and $2.10 to show.
Midsummer Magic finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Alidoon with 4-5 wagering favorite Mystical Moonlight third. Alidoon paid $3.40 to place and $2.10 to show while Mystical Moonlight paid $2.10 to show.
Midsummer Magic won $36,000 in purse money to increase her career total to $100,021. Midsummer Magic has now won three of nine starts lifetime. She has only run out of the money in one of those nine tries.
Von Hemel was also the trainer for Midsummer Magic, gaining his third Classics win of the night. He now has 15 career Oklahoma Classics wins.
The winning time for the Distaff was 1:42.45.
Courtesy Remington Park Media Relations
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