LEMON ZEST, RUNNIN N GUNNIN and SO THERE SHE WAS TOP REMINGTON PARK OAKS MORNING-LINE ODDS

The $200,000 Remington Park Oaks looks like it could be a battle of the West Coast, the Southwest and a filly trying to prove she is a stakes horse to Brad Cox, the top trainer in the country when it is run Sunday, Sept. 28 on Oklahoma Derby Day.

Lemon Zest was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite from Cox’s barn, which has earned more than $23 million this year. This 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly has won two of her three starts lifetime but will be facing stakes company for the first time in the Remington Park Oaks. Cox will bring Luis Saez in to ride Lemon Zest, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, out of the Bernardini mare Larkin. Saez rode Lemon Zest when she broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on June 29 but the No. 4 jockey in the country did not follow her to Ellis Park in Kentucky for her next start where she won an allowance test on Aug. 16 going one mile.

Lemon Zest is owned by Godolphin, who also bred her. Her 3-1/4 lengths win at Ellis Park in allowance company after winning her first by 1-3/4 lengths at Churchill earned this filly her first stakes try. Her record is 3-2-0-0 with $132,920 earned.

The 3-1 second morning-line favorite in the Oaks is Runnin N Gunnin from trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn. She is possibly the most highly profiled filly in this field, running third in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. on March 29. She won the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks on Feb. 16. A daughter of Gun Runner, a Horse of the Year for Asmussen, out of the Empire Maker mare Charity Belle, Runnin N Gunnin earned a spot in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico in Maryland on May 16 where she last of nine after breaking slowly.

Runnin N Gunnin will be ridden by Jose Ortiz in the Remington Park Oaks. Ortiz is the third-leading rider in the nation with his horses earning more than $25 million this year.

Runnin N Gunnin is owned by Douglas Scharbauer and was bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms. Her record is 8-3-0-1 for a bankroll of $261,440. She is the top money earner in the Remington Park Oaks and also the top winner in the field with her three wins.

Runnin N Gunnin put in her final workout for the Remington Park Oaks this morning, going four furlongs at Remington Park in :50.09 handily over a fast track.

Rounding out the three morning-line favorites is the West Coast’s top hope from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Doug O’Neil, So There She Was. She has been installed at 7-2 odds.

O’Neill has opted to go with Remington Park’s top rider Ramon Vazquez on So There She Was. Vazquez took a respite from riding at Remington Park the past few years, doing very well on the Southern California circuit.

So There She Was, by Munnings, out of the Take Charge Indy mare Risk Premium, is owned by Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis. She was a near-winner in the Grade 3 Torry Pine Stakes last time out on Aug. 30 at Del Mar, north of San Diego, running second by a half-length. She was impressive going almost wire to wire under jockey Antonio Fresu in a tough stakes race but still seeks her second career victory. Her only visit to a winner’s circle was Aug. 10 at Del Mar in a maiden race.

As at 2-year-old, So There She Was finished second in the $225,000 Churchill Downs Debutante in June 2024 before finishing third in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante in Sept. 2024. She has earned $865,350 in her career with one win, three seconds and one third from her six attempts. So There She Was was bred in Kentucky by Grantley Acres.

The Remington Park Oaks by post-position and program order with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds:
1 – Seraphia, Erik Asmussen, Steve Asmussen, 4-1
2 – Fugitive Star, David Cabrera, Esteban Martinez, 8-1
3 – Runnin N Gunnin, Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen, 3-1
4 – Lemon Zest, Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 5-2 (morning-line favorite)
5 – So There She Was, Ramon Vazquez, Doug O’Neill, 7-2
6 – Legal Empress, Stewart Elliott, Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez, 8-1
7 – Ima Margarita Girl, Richard Eramia, Wade Rarick, 10-1

The Remington Park Oaks is the ninth of 10 races on Oklahoma Derby Sunday and will be contested at 1-1/16 miles. The first race is at 3pm with the Oaks scheduled for 7:14pm, followed by the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby. All times are 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 Oklahoma Derby takes place Sunday, Sept. 28. The Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 20. 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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