SPOOKY CHANNEL MADE LUKEWARM 7-2 FAVORITE IN WIDE OPEN $100,000 REMINGTON GREEN STAKES ON OKLAHOMA DERBY DAY

Spooky Channel’s 9-for-23 record on the grass with $451,722 in his bankroll earned him favoritism in the wide open $100,000 Remington Green Stakes, the final race on the card Oklahoma Derby Day Sunday, Sept. 26.

This 6-year-old gelded son of one of the greatest turf sires in history, English Channel, has shown that bloodlines ring true and he is the morning line 7-2 favorite in this race, the 12th on a 12-race card. English Channel was a Champion Horse on the grass with $5.3 million in earnings, winning six Grade 1 races, including the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Spooky Channel, out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Spooky Kitten, ought to eat up the grass like a Troy-Bilt lawnmower with his pedigree. Kitten’s Joy has been the No. 1 sire on grass in North America multiple times and was a multiple Grade 1 stakes winner with more than $2 million banked on the grass.

Kitten’s Joy was voted the Champion Male Horse on the grass in 2004 despite running second to Better Talk Now in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. He has produced about 100 stakes winners as a sire and saw his stud fee has risen from $25,000 to $100,000 because of his progeny’s prowess on the grass.

Spooky Channel has earned every bit of his nearly half-million dollars greensward, including a Grade 3 win in the $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on Jan. 31. He is a multiple graded stakes winner, also taking the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January 2020.

In this 6-year-old gelding’s most recent start to prep for the Remington Green, trainer Jason Barkley entered him in the Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Turf Cup Stakes and just missed winning by a half-length at 1-1/4 miles at Ellis Park in Kentucky. The Remington Green is 1-1/8th miles. If there is any fault in his form it’s that he has only won one-of-five at that distance. Jockey James Graham retains the mount for owner NBS Stable. He was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm.

The second favorite in the race, Tut’s Revenge, comes in at 9-2 odds. Three-time defending champion rider David Cabrera gets a leg up from trainer Clinton Stuart for the fourth race in a row. He has run second twice on this 5-year-old gelded son of Eskendereya, out of the Pleasantly Perfect mare Cat Five’ O in his last three starts. Tut’s Revenge has won three-of-four starts at Remington Park and 9-of-29 overall for $354,989 in his career. He is 6-of-13 on the lawn. His one glaring loss on the grass came to Spooky Channel in the Connally Cup when Tut’s Revenge ran dead last, beaten 45 lengths. Whatever bothered him that day seems to have been figured out. He only got beat 2-1/2 lengths in the Kentucky Downs Preview Million Mile on Aug. 8 at Ellis Park in western Kentucky.
Tut’s Revenge is owned by Claim to Fame Stable and was bred in Kentucky by Lane Thoroughbreds.

The defending champion of the Remington Green, Sunlit Song, is next in the morning line at 6-1 odds and actually beat Tut’s Revenge last year by a neck in the 2020 edition. This 6-year-old gelded son of My Golden Song, out of the Early Flyer mare Fly So True, is owned by Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding of Pollok, Texas. He was bred in Texas by Barnett. He has won 11 races from 29 starts for $391,747 in earnings.

The top earner in the field is Popular Kid (12-1) with $493,774 bankrolled. He is also the leader in the field with 13 career victories.

Here’s the field for this year’s Remington Green Stakes with post position, horse, jockey, trainer and odds:
Sunlit Song, Ricardo Santana, Jr., Mindy Willis, 6-1
Box Seat, David Cohen, Boyd Caster, 30-1
Spooky Channel, James Graham, Jason Barkley, 7-2
Guided Missile, Ramon Vazquez, Boyd Caster, 30-1
Tut’s Revenge, David Cabrera, Clinton Stuart, 9-2
Popular Kid, Jose Alvarez, Shawn H. Davis, 12-1
Carlea’s Dream, Lindey Wade, Karen Jacks, 15-1
Fred’stwirlincandy, Reylu Gutierrez, Ronnie Cravens, III, 20-1
Singapore Flash, Luis Rodriguez Castro, J.R. Caldwell, 12-1
Don’task Don’ttell, Stewart Elliott, Steve Asmussen, 8-1
Megacity, Joe Rocco, Jr., Michael Tomlinson, 5-1
Spirit Animal, Joe Talamo, Eduardo Caramori, 8-1

The Green will wrap up the Sunday racing action of Oklahoma Derby, the field is scheduled to leave the gate at 8:46p.m.

The other stakes races on the derby day agenda include:
Race 4 – $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes, 2yo, six furlongs
Race 6 – $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial, 2-year-old fillies, 6-1/2 furlongs
Race 7 – $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and older, six furlongs
Race 8 – Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1-1/16 miles
Race 9 – $75,000 Ricks Memorial, fillies and mares, 3 and older, 1-1/16 miles (turf)
Race 10 – $150,000 David Vance Stakes, 3 and older, 6 furlongs
Race 11 – Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, 3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles

Racing continues this week with a Friday-Sunday schedule. It’s the only Sunday race day of the meet, serving as Oklahoma Derby Day. Post time is 3 p.m. on Sept. 26, while every other race night begins at 7:07 p.m.

Tracked by more than 167,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $272 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 is the home of the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby and Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sunday, Sept. 26. Simulcast horse racing featured daily, the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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