Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park
Reigning Horse Of The Meet Miss Code West Heavily Favored In Oklahoma Classics Distaff
Miss Code West has never lost to Oklahoma-bred fillies and mares, and she has won five-of-six starts on the main track at Remington Park in her career.
So, it is no surprise to see her posted as the dominant 3-5 morning-line favorite for the $145,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18. The night that is reserved for the top Oklahoma-bred horses in training with more than $1 million in purse money over the 10-race program of the Classics.
Miss Code West faces five in the 1-mile, 70 yards on the main track for the Distaff Handicap. The only time she didn’t win on the main surface locally was in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks in her last start, Sept. 29, in open company. It took a shipper from the Brad Cox barn, Alpine Princess, to finally beat Miss Code West at Remington Park.
Miss Code West, a daughter of Code West, out of the Kipling mare Inca Miss, survived the trip in the Oaks well and trainer Kevin Scholl likes her chances back with Okie-breds. The filly was named Remington Park’s Horse of the Meet last year when she won three stakes races and went four-for-four in her tries here. Miss Code West races for owners Jeffry and Julie Puryear of Denton, Texas. Floyd Wethey, Jr., is her regular rider.
Oddly enough, Scholl didn’t know the Puryears from Adam when they approached him about sending him some horses to race for them.
“I really didn’t know who they were,” Scholl said. “They just saw my statistics (with getting horses to win) and called me out of the blue. One of the horses they sent me was Miss Code West.”
Miss Code West continued her winning ways when she returned to Remington Park this meet, winning the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Fillies & Mares Handicap on Sept. 6, her first race here as a 3-year-old. Her next step was the Remington Park Oaks.
Like Scholl, the Puryears are owners of few words.
“They really haven’t said too much to me,” Scholl said. “I just know they are happy.”
Scholl said if she comes back well from the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap, she will race again on closing night, Friday, Dec. 13, in the Useeit Stakes.
The biggest competition for Miss Code West in the Classics Distaff Handicap may come from Letta’s Legacy, who ran second to Miss Code West last year in the Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes, losing by two lengths.
Letta’s Legacy, the 9-5 second favorite in the morning line, is owned, trained and was bred by Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame conditioner C.R. Trout. Trout says not to count out his 3-year-old filly by Practical Joke, out of the Sunday Break (JPN) mare Sundayville Break.
“She had a bit of a problem last year and we feel like we’ve corrected that,” Trout said. “I really think we can run with that filly this year.”
Letta’s Legacy, ridden by her regular rider Jose Alvarez in three starts this year as a 3-year-old, has won her last two in a row, sprinting 5-1/2 furlongs in both of those. She would have to stretch out to the route distance for this race. The farthest she has ever run was one mile in the Slide Show Stakes in her worst performance ever, running sixth behind Miss Code West, beaten 20-1/4 lengths. That race, however, was when she had her problems, Trout said.
“She has really shown improvement this year,” he said.
Letta’s Legacy, named for Trout’s late wife Arletta, broke her maiden on Sept. 13 this year, winning by six lengths. She followed that with 1-1/2 length victory on Sept. 27.
Here’s how the field for the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap looks by program and post position, horse, jockey, trainer and odds:
- Gospel Fabulous, Leandro Goncalves, Steve Williams, 20-1
- Janes Girls, Alfredo Triana, Jr., Tyrone Gleason, 15-1
- Letta’s Legacy, Jose Alvarez, C.R. Trout, 9-5
- Stormieis Blue, Harry Hernandez, Sarah Davidson, 8-1
- Da Prairie Girl, Lindey Wade, Roger Neff, 12-1
- Miss Code West, Floyd Wethey, Jr., Kevin Scholl, 3-5
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Remington Park racing continues tonight, the 31st race date of the season. The nine race program features two over the turf course, race one and the finale in the ninth. The card begins at 6:30pm. All times are Central.
