Rated R Superstar Lands a Second Governor's Cup Title
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Photo: Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park
Rated R Superstar takes his second Governor's Cup Stakes at Remington Park
The highly anticipated rematch between Rated R Superstar and Plainsman never developed in the Aug. 19 $175,000 Governor's Cup Stakes as the former won the race for the second year in a row while the latter faded badly.
Prior to last year's race, Remington Park's all-time winningest owner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla., had never won this race and now he has landed it twice. Those two wins and all his others gave him 397 wins at the Oklahoma City track.
Plainsman was forwardly placed in third but began to fade badly early in the final turn as Rated R Superstar had just begun to rally from the back of the pack. It was Flash of Mischief , last year's St. Louis Derby winner, that jockey David Cabrera, aboard the winner, would have to pass for the victory. Flash of Mischief set the pace and handled :24.25 for the first quarter-mile, :48.87 for the half-mile, three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.10 and the mile in 1:38.24.
"He was ready for it when I asked him for all he had (in the stretch)," said Cabrera, who has won the past four riding titles at Remington Park. This was his first stakes win since suffering injury in a riding mishap at Oaklawn Park in April and was forced to stop riding for three months.
"I want to say how much I really appreciated Danny for giving me these kind of opportunities since my injury," said Cabrera, who suffered neck, back and facial injuries in the spill.
Caldwell appreciates Cabrera and also the 9-year-old horse that put him in the winner's circle again, Rated R Superstar, a son of Kodiak Kowboy , out of the Gold Case mare Wicked Wish. Federico Villafranco trains the multiple stakes-winner who was bred in Kentucky by Thorndale Stable.
"I knew Freddy had him ready when I saw him work the other morning," Caldwell said. "He (Rated R Superstar) was fresh and kicking around and wanted to bite someone. He's an old veteran that knows what to do and when it's game time."
Rated R Superstar and Plainsman had taken turns beating each other in stakes races at Oaklawn all spring, but this was not Plainsman's night. Sent off as the 6-5 wagering favorite, he finished next to last in the field of seven horses. The winner was a generous 7-2 on the toteboard at post-time and came from sixth to score by 1 1/2 lengths.
Flash of Mischief, the second choice at 7-5, secured the runner-up slot, 2 1/2 lengths in front of longshot Catdaddy in third.
Rated R Superstar paid $9 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.40 to show. His winning time for the 1-1/8th mile race was 1:51.20.
It was the third stakes win of the year for the hard-knocking gelding who improved his lifetime record to 63 starts, 12 wins, 10 seconds and eight thirds for $1,721,280. He has won two of three starts at Remington Park for $218,000 in his bankroll.