MISTER OMAHA PROVES HIS CLASS WITH INCREDIBLE WIN IN OKLAHOMA CLASSICS CUP AT REMINGTON PARK

Mister Omaha won the $131,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup by 9-3/4 lengths on Friday night at Remington Park. The outstanding triumph gave Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Joe Offolter and last year’s leading owner at Remington Park, Bryan Hawk, an incredible night with three Oklahoma Classics wins apiece.

Veteran rider Luis Quinonez was aboard the Mister Omaha and moved within two wins of the all-time Oklahoma Classics lead for jockeys. This was Quinonez’s 24th all-time Classics win since this series of races began in 1993, only two back of Cliff Berry’s 26. It’s not coincidental that those two are the two all-time winningest jockeys at Remington Park. Offolter’s three victories gave on the night gives him 10 overall, moving him into a tie for fourth all-time with Steve Hobby. Ahead of those two are Donnie Von Hemel with 32, C.R. Trout 18, and Roger Engel 11.

On this night, Quinonez would milk the lead on Mister Omaha like a prize-winning farmer with his jersey cow. In the 1-1/16 miles race over a main fast track, Quinonez jumped out to a quick two-length lead after a quarter-mile in :23.73. He then let the pack come up to him at the half-mile pole, shortening his lead to one length and when it appeared a couple of horses were going to give him a run for his money, Quinonez let out a notch and it looked like a pistol being fired as Mister Omaha kicked in again. After that :47.76 half-mile, this 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred son of Omaha Beach, from the Into Mischief mare Cosmic Code, all of a sudden was pulling away by three lengths in 1:11.43 for three-quarters of a mile, by six lengths in 1:36.44 for the mile and the other horses couldn’t even see him with binoculars when he hit the wire in 1:43.11.

It was no shocker to see Mister Omaha be bet down to 1-5 odds after his third-place finish in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby with open company on Sept. 28 here. After all, he was less than four lengths back of the winner, Bracket Buster, in the derby. Bracket Buster had run second in his previous race, the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga in upstate New York to Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty.

“He is a dream to ride,” said Quinonez of Mister Omaha. “He does everything you ask him to do. Turning for home, I didn’t hear anyone else coming so I knew he was much the best.”

“Luis Q gives Mister Omaha all the confidence in the world when he is riding him,” said Offolter. “And this horse has answered the bell every time.”

Winters Lion (4-1) was the horse that finally crossed the finish line second and he was only a half-length in front of the old battle horse and multiple stakes winner, Number One Dude (9-1).

Mister Omaha returned $2.60 to win and $2.10 to place and show to his backers. He earned $78,600 from the purse and improved his lifetime numbers to 12 starts, six wins, one second and two thirds for a bankroll of $341,443. He is owned and was bred by Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla., who got his third win of the night as an owner and his fourth as a breeder of Oklahoma Classics winners.

“About the first time Luis got aboard him in the morning and worked him, he came back to me and said, ‘I think you have something special,’” Offolter said.

This was the second Classics Cup victory for Quinonez who won aboard That’s Something in 2022. It was the first win for the rest of the connections of Mister Omaha

The rest of the order of finish in the main event for Oklahoma-breds past the top three were Flat Hanby (14-1) fourth, Soul Sacrifice (62-1) fifth, Red Mountain (27-1) sixth, Okie Smoke (60-1) seventh, last year’s winner Inca Empire (38-1) eighth and Cherokee Sunrise (83-1) ninth.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 18 with the first post time of 6 p.m.-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $390 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2025 Springboard Mile, a 2026 Kentucky Derby qualifying points race, takes place Saturday, Dec. 20, the final night of the Thoroughbred Season. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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