Only five sophomore fillies were entered for Sunday’s $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, but included in that group is champion two-year-old filly Champagne Room.
The Peter Eurton trainee hasn’t been seen in competition since making her sophomore bow in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park on February 5. The bay lass finished third, beaten 10 lengths, on that occasion, which was her first start since upsetting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) last November at Santa Anita at 33-1.
Champagne Room actually broke her maiden in the Sorrento Stakes (G2) last year, and followed up with a third in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and fourth-placing in the Chandelier Stakes (G1). Mario Gutierrez has been aboard the Broken Vow filly for all but one of her six lifetime starts and has the call on Sunday.
Ever So Clever is seeking her first win since taking the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park over the spring. The Medaglia d’Oro filly was no factor next out in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and enters this spot off a sixth-placing in the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows on July 6. The Steve Asmussen charge reunites with jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. in this 1 1/16-mile affair.
Torrent ran fourth in the Fantasy and filled that same spot in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) last out. The Ron Moquett-conditioned daughter of Blame is looking for her first stakes win and gets Marlon St. Julien aboard for the initial time.
Babybluesbdancing added a third stakes score to her resume when taking the Rolling Meadows Stakes at Arlington Park last out on September 4, and returns here after also running second in the Iowa Oaks and fourth in the Monmouth Oaks (G3). Ramon Vazquez was in the irons for the Iowa Oaks and has piloting duties on the Terrel Gore pupil here.
Rounding out the Remington Park Oaks field is Holiday’s Angel, who has faced stakes rivals just twice in her 12-race career thus far. The Chris Harman trainee finished fifth in last year’s Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs and last out ran fourth in the Dueling Grounds Oaks on the turf at Kentucky Downs. The Harlan’s Holiday filly gets Robby Albarado in the saddle for this one.
The Remington Park Oaks is just one of a slew of stakes on Oklahoma Derby (G3) Day Sunday. The stakes action kicks off in the 2ND race with the $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes, featuring a field of five distaffers sprinting six furlongs. Golden Mischief is getting a class break in the race after running fourth in both the Prioress Stakes (G2) and Victory Ride Stakes (G3) in her past pair.
Seven were entered to go nine furlongs on the turf in the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes one race later, including recent Unbridled Stakes winner Net Gain. The $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes, sending 10 juveniles six furlongs, continues the stakes action two races later, with stakes winner Thermistor putting his two-for-two mark on the line against fellow stakes scorer Aceguitar.
The $175,000 Governor’s Cup Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile contest for three-year-olds and up, drew a contentious field of five graded caliber runners, including last year’s Oklahoma Derby (G3) conqueror Texas Chrome and this season’s Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) hero Iron Fist.
The $50,000 Bob Barry Memorial Stakes will send nine turf distaffers 7 1/2 furlongs one race later, with stakes vixen Penguini installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite. The Remington Park Oaks follows this contest and in turn is followed by the $75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes, which drew a dozen fillies and mares to go 1 1/16 miles on the turf, including multiple stakes winners Gianna’s Dream, third in the Violet Stakes (G3) most recently, and Stormquility.
Grade 3 veteran Ivan Fallunovalot will break from the far outside post 8 while trying for his fourth straight win in the $150,000 David M. Vance Sprint Stakes at six furlongs. That contest precedes the Oklahoma Derby, which is followed by the $50,000 Red Earth Stakes. That 7 1/2-furlong, grassy contest wraps up the day’s racing at Remington Park and also features a title defense run, as Ibaka takes on nine rivals, including Runandyrun and Tenspeed, who were the respective second- and third-place finishers behind him in last year’s edition.
