EIREANN PULLS OFF UPSET IN SLIDE SHOW STAKES OVER SLOPPY TRACK WITH BRILLIANT RIDE FROM FREDDY MANRRIQUE

When it comes to 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly races, just about anything can happen, especially over a sloppy track. That adage came true Friday night at Remington Park as Eireann pulled off an upset in the $50,000 Slide Show Stakes when heavy 4-5 favorite Elegant Echo broke poorly from the gate.

With Elegant Echo trying to make up 5-1/2 lengths down the backstretch, jockey Freddy Manrrique waited patiently on the rail behind front-runners Little Iris (7-5 second favorite) and Runaway Okie (13-1) as they splashed away ahead of her. While Elegant Echo made a flashy middle move wide on the track, catching up to the pack by the top of the stretch, Manrrique had Eireann were skimming the rail, looking for room. They found space by the top of the stretch as Little Iris came out toward the middle, opening the door for the winner. Eireann moved into the spot and drew off to win the mile race by 3-1/4 lengths at 7-1 odds.

“Honestly, when you’re going to win, you’re going to win,” said Manrrique. “I saw (Elegant Echo) not break well and I just tried to be patient. I knew I had a little horse left under me at the top of the stretch. I just needed a little room. When (Little Iris) came off the rail, I asked my horse to run and she gave me 100-percent in the tank.”

By that time, Elegant Echo had flattened out from trying to catch up, and the speed duel in front of Eireann collapsed. Little Iris and Runaway Okie held on for second and third, respectively. Little Iris was 1-1/2 lengths ahead of Runaway Okie at the wire. Those two had set early fractions of :24.92 for the first quarter-mile, :50.02 for the half-mile, 1:15.53 at three-quarters of a mile and 1:27.98 for seven-eighths of a mile. Winning time for Eireann was 1:40.59.

“Freddy said yesterday that we were going to win this race,” said Steve Dupy, who owns the filly along with her trainer Mark Buehrer. “Mark said at the sale that there was a filly we needed to buy. I saw her and said, ‘You’re right.’ “

Eireann, a 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Flat Out, from the Monarchos mare Colombe, was bred by Center Hills Farm and Randy Blair, farm manager for Mighty Acres in Pryor, Okla., a subsidiary of Center Hills Farm.

She paid $17 to win, $5 to place and $4.80 to show. Eireann earned $30,000 for the win and got her revenge on Elegant Echo, who had beaten her by four lengths in the $76,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie last time out, sprinting six furlongs on Oct. 18 over a fast track. Eireann ran third in that event.

“I liked her pedigree and balance,” said Buerhrer. “She is put together well. I’ve been waiting to run her at a mile.”

The rest of the order of finish after the top three was Elegant Echo fourth and Secret Verse (11-1) fifth.

Eireann has started six times, with five attempts this season at Remington Park. She has now won two races with one place and one show for total earnings of $63,928.

This was the first win in the Slide Show stakes for all of the connections of Eireann.

The Slide Show Stakes is named in honor of the outstanding Oklahoma-bred filly who won 11 consecutive races in her career at Remington Park, including multiple stakes events. She also defeated males in the 1995 Oklahoma Classics Cup.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday at 6:30pm-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $363 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 simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 13 when the $300,000 Springboard Mile tops the final night of the season. The major 2-year-old stakes race of the season, the Springboard awards valuable 2025 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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