MULTIPLE STAKES WINNER DOUDOUDOUWANADANCE GETS IN SECOND WORKOUT PRIOR TO REMINGTON PARK SEASON
Doudoudouwanadance raised some eyebrows last year when the filly won the first three races of her career at Remington Park, including two stakes.
That Oklahoma-bred filly is now 3-years-old and has had two workouts already, including a half-mile move Wednesday morning at Remington Park to prepare for the upcoming 67-date Remington Park Thoroughbred Season that begins Friday, Aug. 18, and continues through Springboard Mile Night on Friday, Dec. 15.
Doudoudouwanadance breezed the four furlongs in :50.90 over a fast track.
The excitement from her owner Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla., was palpable after she won the first race of her career by eight lengths in maiden company as the 2-1 favorite with jockey Leandro Goncalves in the irons. She covered 5-1/2 furlongs on the main track in 1:05.46 on Sept. 30, 2022. Westemeir’s joy could not be tempered, knowing she had come from the same dam (mom) Ebony Uno as another of his horses, multiple stakes winner Number One Dude. Doudoudouwanadance is Dude’s half-sister.
The happiness continued to build in her next two starts when she won the Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes on Oct. 21 and the Slide Show Stakes on Nov. 11. The balloon burst on Dec. 17 when she raced against the top 2-year-old fillies on the grounds in the Trapeze Stakes. The best she could do was an eighth-place finish to Olivia Twist, who has since gone on to run fifth and sixth in graded stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. and Del Mar north of San Diego, Calif.
Theories ranged from Doudoudouwanadance flipping her palate in the Trapeze to balking at kickback in her face for the first time.
“It turns out she did not have an entrapped epiglottis after we had her vetted,” said Westemeir.
Despite the poor effort in the Trapeze, her next start would come in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., coming off a two-month layoff. She ran last in a field of 12 there.
“She was cruising (in the Honeybee) and (jockey James Graham) said he had tons of horse,” Westemeir said. “Then he dropped her inside in the slop and she threw her head up and she was done.”
The reason for still sending her to the Honeybee after the tough going in the Trapeze?
“There were some riders that had been on her and Dude that told me they thought she may be more talented than she had shown (in the Trapeze),” said Westemeir.
Regardless of her poor finish in the Trapeze, Doudoudouwanadance had done enough against Oklahoma-bred stakes company that she was named the Oklahoma Breeders’ Champion Thoroughbred Filly of the year at the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma banquet on Aug. 4. Her dam and Number One Dude’s, Ebony Uno, was named Leading Dam of Thoroughbred Racing Stock. Dude won Champion Thoroughbred Male Turf Runner.
Since those championship seasons, both horses have been moved from trainer Kari Craddock’s barn to Scott Young’s. As will happen in this game, racing agendas between Westemeir and Craddock could not be resolved, so Young now has six horses from the Broken Arrow owner and trainer Alan Williams has three more. After the great success from 2022, Westemeir doesn’t expect a hiccup with the change in barns.
“I think we will hit pretty hard,” he said. “Dude has improved without blinkers and he has matured.”
Dude’s first start could be in the opening stakes race on opening night – the Governor’s Cup. He was one of 15 horses nominated.
“I like my 2-year-olds to make an impression,” said Westemeir.
The origin of Doudoudouwanadance comes from Westemeir’s wife Leslie’s love for the Beach Boys and that song. Doudoudouwanadance comes into the Remington Park season with three wins from six attempts and another finish in second for earnings of $136,506. She is being pointed to the $50,000 (estimated) Oklahoma Stallion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on Friday, Sept. 8
The Governor’s Cup and the Opening Night of racing will be compiled on Thursday, Aug. 10.
Remington Park has provided more than $328 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 home to the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby and the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Parking and admission are always free. 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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