Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Owendale taking a shot at big money in BC Classic
Trainer Brad Cox said Monday that Owendale will make his next start in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
The Oklahoma Derby winner, Owendale also had been under consideration for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
“He breezed Saturday morning, his first work after the Oklahoma Derby,” Cox said. “He went great. We’re very pleased with him.”
Owendale, who races for Rupp Racing, went a half-mile in 49 seconds at his base of Churchill Downs. He is to fly to Santa Anita on Oct. 29, said Cox, who is scheduled to have a career-high five starters in this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
Owendale’s regular rider is Florent Geroux, who fractured his sternum in a morning training incident Sunday, according to his agent, Doug Bredar. Cox said Monday morning that he did not yet know a timeline for the rider’s return, but that the mount on Owendale is Geroux’s for the taking.
“It’s his call,” Cox Monday.
Bredar said Geroux is scheduled to see a specialist Monday. He said the rider had a battery of tests Sunday and will not need surgery. Geroux left the hospital about 5 p.m. Sunday.
“I don’t really know how long he’ll be out,” Bredar said, adding the rider was doing very well Monday.
Geroux guided Owendale to a 1 3/4-length win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, a 1 1/8-mile race Sept. 29 at Remington Park. The horse broke from the 10-hole, made a sweeping, four-wide move around the final turn, and defeated a strong field that included fellow graded stakes winners Mucho Gusto and Long Range Toddy.
The win was the third Grade 3 said victory of the year for Owendale, who also captured the Lexington in April at Keeneland and the Ohio Derby in June at Thistledown. Cox said that Owendale has improved over the past six months. Owendale earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97 in the Oklahoma Derby.
Among Cox’s other intended Breeders’ Cup starters are Arklow in the Turf and Covfefe in the Filly and Mare Sprint.
Monte Man preps for stakes
Monte Man, the reigning Louisiana-bred of the year, will be in action Wednesday night at Remington Park. He goes in a first-level allowance sprint at six furlongs, and the race is intended to serve as his bridge to the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint on Dec. 14 at Fair Grounds.
Monte Man last raced Aug. 3, finishing a troubled fourth in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint at Louisiana Downs. He was an odds-on favorite off a win in the $75,000 Louisiana Legends Sprint at Evangeline Downs in May.
“We wanted to get a race into him before we ran on Champions Day,” said Ron Faucheux, who trains Monte Man for Ivery Sisters Racing.
“Time-wise, this should set us up good.”
Monte Man’s final work for Wednesday was a bullet halfmile in 48.40 seconds in New Orleans. Faucheux said the horse shipped early Monday to Remington. It’s a rare Oklahoma City starter for the Louisiana-based barn. Faucheux is 2 for 5 at Remington. Among his winners was Smitty’s Cougar, who like the 12-time winner Monte Man was multiple statebred stakes winner who shipped in for a conditioned allowance.
Monte Man will break from post 7 under Luis Quinonez.
The horse is coming up to the start in fine fashion, Faucheux said.
“He’s great. He’s his old self,” Faucheux said. “I really think that last race you can almost just throw it out. He just had too many obstacles to overcome in that race. He broke all right, stumbled after the break. He was kind of stuck on the inside. He really didn’t have a chance to run throughout the race.
“We like the outside post for him in this spot.”
The chief rivals Wednesday could be the stakes-placed runners Alpha to Omega and Kats Second Silver.
Shotgun Kowboy the big name
The multiple Grade 3 winner Shotgun Kowboy and the multiple stakes winners Welder and Perfect to Please are entered on the $1 million Oklahoma Classics Night program Friday at Remington Park.
Shotgun Kowboy goes in the $175,000 Classic, a race he has won three times. Welder makes an appearance in the $130,000 Sprint, and Perfect to Please goes in the $130,000 Turf.
C.R. Trout bred, owns, and trains Shotgun Kowboy. The horse will break from the rail under David Cabrera. His rivals include Rowdy the Warrior, who was second to Shotgun Kowboy in last year’s Classic.
◗ Delta Downs will put Louisiana-bred juveniles in the spotlight this weekend with the $100,000 Jewel on Friday night and the $100,000 Legacy on Saturday.