Warrant, Lady Mystify Make the Grade in Oklahoma
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Photo: Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park
Warrant wins the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park
Twin Creeks Racing Stables' homebred Warrant turned in a gutsy performance in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sept. 26 at Remington Park to give trainer Brad Cox a third consecutive victory in the 1 1/8-mile feature for 3-year-olds.
Cox is the second trainer following Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer Donnie Von Hemel to win the Oklahoma Derby three times, and the first trainer to win in three years in a row. His 2019 winner was Owendale , followed by Shared Sense in 2020.
Warrant was fifth after the first quarter-mile but steadily moved up under jockey Joel Rosario. After splits of :23.56 and :47.95, Warrant from the inside challenged pacesetter Flash of Mischief and the two were a head apart for six furlongs in 1:12.25. The two continued to battle down the stretch, but Warrant ultimately proved the best, winning by 1 3/4 lengths over that rival. Grade 1 winner Super Stock rallied to finish third a half-length behind Flash of Mischief.
Warrant, picking up his first graded victory, completed the distance in 1:50.76 on the fast track. The Constitution colt paid $8.40 on a $2 win ticket at odds of 3-1.
"It was a perfect trip," Rosario said. "The more I asked him, the more he gave me.
"When we dove to the inside, he settled in and seemed very happy," Rosario added.
Last out, Warrant was second to Mr. Wireless (who only managed fifth in the Oklahoma Derby) in the Aug. 7 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Racetrack Casino & Resort. That was his first start since taking the May 31 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park.
Warrant was bred in Kentucky out of the First Samurai mare Whisper Number, also the dam of 2018 Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G2) winner Ms Locust Point . Whisper Number's two foals since Warrant are an unraced 2-year-old full brother to the Oklahoma Derby winner named War Room and a yearling Good Magic colt who sold to the BSW/Crow Colts Group for $325,000 out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Whisper Number was bred back to Constitution for 2022.
From seven starts, Warrant has a 3-3-1 record and earnings of $634,700.
Video: Oklahoma Derby (G3)
Lady Mystify Rolls at Remington
Lady Mystify shipped to Oklahoma from California and will return home victorious after a commanding three-length victory in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks Stakes (G3) Sunday night. The 3-year-old daughter of Bernardini captured her first graded stakes in her second attempt at the level in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Lady Mystify wins the Remington Park Oaks
With Flavien Prat up, she stalked in third through the first half-mile as My Girl Red set fractions of :23.60 and :47.29. Lady Mystify then began a drive down the stretch and continued to open up to the wire, completing the distance in 1:44.13 on the fast track. Off at 6-1, she paid $14.
"She broke really well for me and we had a good trip," Prat said. "I gave her a little breather on the backstretch and that's why she gave me so much in the stretch. She was very calm before the race, so I felt good."
Grade 3 winner Pauline's Pearl was one spot behind the winner throughout and finished second by a head, holding off third-placed Amendment Nineteen .
Lady Mystify is trained by Peter Eurton for Exline-Border Racing, SAF Racing, and Richard Hausman. She has a 3-1-1 record from six starts with earnings of $217,520.
Scott and Evan Dilworth bred Lady Mystify in Kentucky out of the Unbridled's Song mare J. Quirk. The sophomore filly is the second foal and second winner for her dam, who also has the unraced 2-year-old Quality Road colt named Beat Emotion. J. Quirk foaled a Gun Runner filly this year and was bred to Game Winner for 2022.
Lady Mystify originally sold for $120,000 to agent Patrice Miller/EQB when consigned by Summerfield to the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearling Sale. Exline-Border Racing, with Marette Farrell as agent, later purchased Lady Mystify for $325,000 out of Niall Brennan Stables' consignment to the 2020 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.