TAKE ME SERIOUS WINS OKLAHOMA CLASSICS DISTAFF AT REMINGTON PARK

Take Me Serious began the Oklahoma Classics run many will be talking about this weekend for Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Joe Offolter and owner Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla. Scoring the Oklahoma Distaff Handicap on Friday, Oct. 17 at Remington Park.

Offolter and Hawk won races seven, eight and nine on the card for Oklahoma-bred horses with the ninth as the most impressive when Mister Omaha easily won the Oklahoma Classics Cup.

The streak, however, started in the $111,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap when Take Me Serious, owned and bred by Hawk, cruised home easily a winner by 4-3/4 lengths in the 1 mile-70 yard race over a fast main track. The 6-year-old Oklahoma-bred mare by Munnings, out of the After Market mare Southern Equity, stalked front-runner Sangria Sunset for a half-mile before taking over and drawing off to the easy win under jockey Richard Eramia.

This was Eramia’s 15th win overall in this series of Oklahoma Classics races, putting him in sole possession of fourth in the Classics jockey standings. Take Me Serious helped Eramia break a tie with Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer Tim Doocy, who retired with 14 Oklahoma Classics scores. Eramia now trails only Cliff Berry’s 26, Luis Quinonez’s 24 and Don Pettinger’s 21.

Eramia has shown a love for the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap, winning four of the past six. Before Take Me Serious, he also won with She’s All Wolfe for Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Donnie Von Hemel three years in a row – 2020-2022. It was the first win in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap for both Offolter and Hawk.

“I like this filly,” Eramia said. “I won with her last year and she brings me lots of happiness.”

Eramia won with Take Me Serious last year in the Classics, but in a different race – the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Sprint.

Take Me Serious was bet down to 1-2 odds by the wagering public Friday and paid $3 to win, $2.20 to place and $2.10 to show. She earned $66,600 for the win in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap and her record improved to 23 starts, eight wins, eight seconds and four thirds as her wallet bulged to $371,466.

Take Me Serious pounced after chasing early fractions of :24.24 for the first quarter-mile, :48.30 for the half-mile and then set the later fractions of 1:12.68 for three-quarters of a mile and 1:37.60 for the mile. Her final winning time was 1:41.84. Take Me Serious showed her versatility Friday, moving from three races in a row on the turf to the dirt for her big win. She had run no worse than second in any of those races on the grass.

“I really felt like routing on the dirt would be her best lick,” said Offolter.

To run this well on both surfaces was not something that was foreshadowed in Take Me Serious’ 3-year-old campaign.

“She had pneumonia when she was 3 and missed a lot of time,” said Offolter. “She’s been a battler all her life.”

“I think she is Joe’s favorite horse in the barn,” said Hawk.

Eireann (5-1) checked in second in the race, 2-1/2 lengths ahead of third-place runner Cryptic Miss (45-1). The rest of the order of finish was So Jordan (7-2) fourth, Sangria Sunset (18-1) fifth, Okie Magic (14-1) sixth, Mucho Mia (25-1) seventh and Devious Diva (24-1) eighth.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 18 with the first post 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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