Big Night for Trout in Oklahoma Classics

C.R. Trout capped a three-win night in the Oklahoma Classics Oct. 17 when Imahit went gate-to-wire to handily defeat favored Z Rockstar for a repeat victory in the $155,500 Classics Cup at Remington Park.



Trout is the owner, trainer, and breeder of all three winners in the state-bred series of races Friday night. He also scored with Shotgun Kowboy in the $85,500 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile, and with Bringinginthelute in the $129,425 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf.



With Jareth Loveberry aboard, Imahit opened a six-length lead over Z Rockstar rounding the turn for home in the Classics Cup and maintained control to the wire under steady handling to win by 2 1/4 lengths as the 2-1 second choice in a field of seven. The 5-year-old son of Whywhywhy was timed in 1:42.77 for the 1 1/16-mile distance on a fast track .



"The game plan was to let his legs stretch out right out of the gate and get him nice and relaxed to try and get him an easy lead," Loveberry said. "He relaxed on the backside and turning for home I gave him a smooch and he just kept picking it up. He's fast on his own and was relaxed doing it."



Carrying 118 pounds, Imahit unfurled swift fractions of :23.26, :46.33, and 1:10.16 while building an insurmountable lead. He paid $6.60, $3.20, and $2.60 to win while improving his career line to 7-4-3 from 20 starts with earnings of $392,391. The dark bay gelding won last year's Oklahoma Classics Cup by 1 1/4 lengths as an even-money choice.



Z Rockstar ($2.80, $2.10), the 17-10 favorite under 123 pounds with Luis Quinonez aboard, was second by two lengths over Ibaka ($3) and Lindey Wade. Evansville Storm, Ted's Folly, Self Destruct, and Shellac rounded out the order of finish.



Imahit, out of the Sahm mare Halo Hit, became the sixth horse to win the Classics Cup more than once.



Trout, a local horseman, from Edmond, Okla., doubled his career wins in the Oklahoma Classics Friday night.



Bringinginthelute was the first of Trout's winners, rallying from next-to-last in the 7 1/2-furlong Distaff Turf to win going away  by 2 1/4 lengths. She was timed in 1:28.83 on firm turf .



Quinonez was aboard the 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute  , who was some 11 lengths off the pace set by Sooner Superstar (:22.89, :45.75) in the field of eight older fillies and mares before charging home wide to get the lead past the furlong mark.



The narrow second choice at 2-1, Bringinginthelute returned $6.60 to win with her third win from 13 starts. Okie Nova was second and Katour third. Ridgeofstone, the slight pick, faded to sixth after pressing the pace.



One race later, Quinonez and Shotgun Kowboy were much the best in the Juvenile, scoring by 6 1/2 lengths at odds of 1-10 in a field of 10. Shotgun Kowboy, a son of Kodiak Kowboy   out of Shotgun Jane, by Siphon, clocked a six-furlong time of 1:09.95 .

 

"He's really matured, this colt, I've never had one like him. He really does everything like a professional," Trout said. "He looked like he was making a pretty good move coming off the turn and we felt pretty confident. Luis said he still had horse left at the end of the race so that's good."



Elsewhere, fast-closing Okie Smokey, ridden by Bryan McNeil, won her second career Classics event, taking the $137,500 Oklahoma Classics Distaff by 2 1/2 lengths in a 16-1 upset . A year ago, Okie Smokey scored in the Lassie as a 2-year-old.



Owned and bred by The Richter Family Trust of and trained by Carlos Padilla, Okie Smokey was last of 11 after a half mile before launching her bid seven wide coming into the stretch for a confident McNeil. The gray daughter of Cavvy out of the Silver Ghost mare Spooky Okie completed the mile-and-70-yard affair in 1:42.01.



Okie Smokey returned $34.40 for her third lifetime victory, all at Remington Park, in nine starts with total earnings of $175,909. What Lola Wants was second, with Eye Love Jeanie third.



Stalking Chifforobe, bottled up early, found room between rivals in deep stretch to get up by a neck with Wade riding at odds of 7-1 in the  $122,800 Oklahoma Classics Sprint .



Okie Ride, was second as the 3-2 favorite, with Johnny Whip third. The time for six furlongs was 1:09.25.



Chifforobe ($16.40), a 4-year-old dark bay gelding by Nobiz Like Shobiz   out of Aletha, by Conquistador Cielo, is trained by Jody Pruitt for owner Paul Sinclair. Chifforobe earned his ninth win from 18 lifetime starts and has banked $206,830.



The $115,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Sprint, the opening race on the card, went to 7-1 shot Diamond Disco, who upset 3-10 choice More Than Even with a front-running tally by half a length .



Owner Danny Caldwell claimed Diamond Disco from her breeders, 7 Cedars Farm, in June for $30,000. She had yet to win in four starts since being claimed, including her last three starts over the turf.



Trained by Federico Villafranco with leading Remington Park rider Ramon Vazquez aboard, Diamond Disco ($16.40) covered the six furlongs in 1:10.18 after speeding through opening fractions of :21.94 and :44.61. More Than Even stalked the winner but could could not close a 1 1/2-length gap in the stretch.



Diamond Disco is a 5-year-old mare by Diamond from the Alamocitos mare Alley's Account. She won her sixth career race from 30 attempts while boosting her lifetime earnings to $226,979.



Robbytyme, winless since August 2013 in a claiming race over the Remington Park turf, surged late to score by a neck in the $126,700 OKC Turf Classic at 30-1 odds .



With Jose Medina aboard, the 6-year-old gelding edged 2-1 favorite Dusty Okie in the field of 12.



Owned and bred by Darrell Williams of Tulsa, Okla., Robbytyme ($62.80) is trained by Kenny Nolen. The son of Kipling   posted a final time of 1:43.19 for the 1-1/16 mile event.



Robbytyme rallied from eighth position going into the final turn, gaining wide into the stretch and then holding off Dusty Okie by a neck. Dusty Okey, attempting to repeat in the OKC Turf, battled back but settled for second.

 

Out of the Post Up mare Wampum, Robbytyme won his fifth race from 28 starts with career earnings now at $153,451.



Zealous Vision won the $85,500 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies by 2 1/2 lengths, paying $47.40 with Alex Birzer aboard for owner/breeder Center Hill Farm and trainer Tim Martin .