Remington Park featured a pair of Oklahoma Stallion Stakes races on Friday night. Each division was worth $50,000, featuring 3-year-old progeny of eligible Oklahoma stallions.
In the fillies division, Euro K Shotgun won her second career race in as many starts, holding on to win by a head over the rallying Another Bond Girl. Owned, trained and bred in Oklahoma by C.R. Trout of Edmond, Okla., Euro K Shotgun was ridden with confidence by Luis Quinonez.
A half-sister to 2015 Oklahoma Derby (G3) winner Shotgun Kowboy, Euro K Shotgun opened a lead in the stretch after battling for the first half-mile with Stolen Glory. However, her advantaged dwindled over the final yards as Another Bond Girl bid for the upset.
“She was in control,” Quinonez said of his filly. “Down the lane she picked it up by a couple lengths over the rest of the field. She was getting a little tired at the end but the wire was right there.”
Euro K Shotgun, while dueling with Stolen Glory carved out quarter-mile fractions of :22.70 seconds for the opening quarter, :45.86 seconds for the half-mile and 1:09.84 for three-quarters of a mile. She crossed the finish in 1:22.63 for seven furlongs over the fast track.
The heavy wagering favorite at 2-5 odds, Euro K Shotgun paid $2.80 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. Another Bond Girl paid $4.40 to place and $2.80 to show. Stolen Glory was 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner in third, paying $3.40 to show.
Perfect through two career starts, both this season at Remington Park as a 3-year-old, the Oklahoma-bred Euro K Shotgun is by Euroears from the Siphon (Brz) mare Shotgun Jane. She earned $30,000 for her Oklahoma Stallion Stakes win to run her career total to $54,134. Euroears stands at JEH Stallion Station in Oklahoma.
Another Bond Girl is by the late Oklahoma stallion Don’t Get Mad, who formerly stood at Rockin’ Z Ranch. Stolen Glory is by Read the Footnotes, who stands at River Oaks Farms.
Oklahoma Stallion Stakes – Colts & Geldings
The male division of the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes had an opposite ending when compared to the fillies division as the pace-setter opened a five-length lead in the stretch, only to be caught in the final sixteenth of a mile.
Welder was well in front for the bulk of the seven-furlongs, taking a daylight lead to the top of the stretch. The open advantage quickly diminished as both Hyper Drive and Tuff Kid managed to get by the pace-setter in the final yards to relegate him to a third-place finish. Hyper Drive powered on to win by a length with Tuff Kid holding second by a head over Welder.
Owned by Henry Thilmony of Minneapolis, Minn., Hyper Drive is trained by Randy Oberlander. Under jockey David Cabrera, Hyper Drive was last in the field of six by nearly 10 lengths along the backstretch before firing a move for victory. After an opening quarter-mile of :22.96 seconds, the half-mile by Welder went in :46.14 seconds before he faded. The three-quarter mile split went in 1:10.82 before Hyper Drive crossed the finish in 1:23.08.
The win is the second in a row for Hyper Drive, who won here an allowance event here on Aug. 25 at 1 mile-70 yards.
“I thought he might be a little short tonight but he was feeling really good and he did it, he’s like on automatic,” Cabrera said. “I let him settle the way he wants to and he did it.”
Moving back to a seven-furlong event after competing in eight consecutive races around two turns was a question Hyper Drive had to answer according to Oberlander.
“I was a little concerned with the one turn, I think he’s better with two turns but it worked out tonight,” he said.
Overlooked by the betting public at 7-1 odds, Hyper Drive paid $16.20 to win, $6.40 to place and $2.20 to show. Tuff Kid returned $4 to place and $2.10 to show. Welder, the beaten 1-5 wagering favorite, paid $2.10 to show for his third-place effort.
The $30,000 first-place check moves the 10-race career earnings for Hyper Drive to $78,219. An Oklahoma-bred 3-year-old gelding, Hyper Drive is a son of Don’t Get Mad from the Blushing John mare Plenty Sweet and was bred in Oklahoma by Tracy Strachan.
Hyper Drive has won three of his 10 starts with the last two victories at Remington Park.
Tuff Kid is also a son of Don’t Get Mad, and Welder is by The Visualiser of Mighty Acres in Oklahoma.