OLIVIAOFTHEDESERT MADE MORNING-LINE FAVORITE FOR TRAPEZE STAKES AT REMINGTON PARK

The $60,000 Trapeze Stakes, Remington Park’s top open-company offering for 2-year-old fillies, drew a field of 11 for the Friday, Dec. 18 renewal. All 11 have a case for winning the one-mile race.

A good indication of how even this field is from top to bottom is morning-line make Jerry Shottenkirk establishing Oliviaofthedesert as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite in the race, which will go as the 11th of 13 on Dec. 18. First post time that evening is 5 p.m., with the cornerstone race, the $200,000 Springboard Mile, expected to be about 10:24 p.m. All times are Central.

Trainer Kenny McPeek ships in Oliviaofthedesert, a juvenile daughter of Bernardini, out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Queenie’s Song, looking for the conditioner’s second win this stakes race. McPeek won the 2016 Trapeze with Perfect Wife. Remington Park jockey David Cabrera, well on his way to his third consecutive local riding title, will ride Oliviaofthedesert.

Oliviaofthedesert has won twice in her career for owner Susan Moulton of San Antonio, both over main tracks. She broke her maiden on Aug. 23 in her second career start at Ellis Park in Kentucky, going one mile on the dirt as the 6-5 betting favorite, winning by 5-1/2 lengths. She was immediately sent to the turf at Kentucky Downs where she ran her best race in stakes-company, finishing third in the $500,000 Juvenile Fillies Stakes at one mile. This filly ran third again in the $98,000 Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs at 1-1/16th miles on the dirt before she was dropped in class to an optional allowance-$75,000 claiming race on Nov. 28, where she got back into winning form in her last start prior to the Trapeze.

Trainer Brad Cox, the second-leading trainer in the country by horses’ money earned ($18.6 million), behind only Steve Asmussen ($19.5 million), conditions the second favorite in the morning line – Cecile’s Chapter – for owners Ike and Dawn Thrash. She is a lightly-raced daughter of Cairo Prince, out of the Awesome Again mare Sharp Instinct. Richard Eramia will have the mount on Cecile’s Chapter at 4-1 odds in the morning-line.

Cecile’s Chapter has only faced stakes horses once in her three career tries and she ran fourth, beaten 3-1/4 lengths in the same Juvenile Fillies Stakes on the Kentucky Downs turf where Oliviaofthedesert was third. This filly was only a neck out of the top three in that start. She broke her maiden by seven lengths at first-asking at Indiana Grand, going one mile on the grass. She did win on the main track in her last start at Keeneland in an allowance non-winners of two race with a $71,000 purse on Oct. 23.

Wesley Ward, who always is a great success with 2-year-olds, not only has the 3-1 favorite, Outadore, in the Springboard Mile, but sends filly Tiz Splendid News in to contend in the Trapeze at 5-1 morning-line odds. This daughter of Maclean’s Music, out of the Tiznow mare Tiz News, has a ton of early speed and she showed that turn of foot in the first part of her last race, a one-mile event that was won by Oliviaofthedesert at Churchill Downs. Tiz Splendid News, the third favorite on the Trapeze line, finished fourth in that race on Nov. 28, three lengths back of the Oliviaofthedesert.

Tiz Splendid News broke her maiden by 7-1/4 lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 21 on a fast main track, going one mile, in a race taken off the grass. She is owned by Toshiaki Shirai.

This will be the eighth running of the Trapeze Stakes. Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Donnie Von Hemel and Bret Calhoun have won this race the most with two winners each. Von Hemel won in 2015 with My Master Plan and in 2017 with Cosmic Burst (stakes record holder, covering the mile in 1:37.94). Calhoun made trips to the winner’s circle with Zooming in 2014 and Cowgirls Like Us in 2018. Asmussen won last year with Princesinha Julia. No jockey or owner has won this race more than once.

Here’s a look at the Trapeze field from the rail out with post position, horse, trainer, jockey and odds:
1) Miss Twenty: Chris Hartman, Ken Tohill, 10-1
2) Oliviaofthedesert: Kenny McPeek, David Cabrera, 7-2 (morning-line favorite)
3) Cecile’s Chapter: Brad Cox, Richard Eramia, 4-1
4) Sorority Row: Matt Hebert, Danny Sorenson, 20-1
5) Silver Devil: Steve Asmussen, Iram Diego, 10-1
6) Paydiem: Danny Pish, Lane Luzzi, 12-1
7) Tiz Splendid News: Wesley Ward, Leandro Goncalves, 5-1
8) Fast N Fine Worker: C.R. Trout, Luis Quinonez, 10-1
9) Credit Enhancement: Oscar Flores, Ramon Vazquez, 10-1
10) Simply Sovereign: Steve Asmussen, Stewart Elliott, 6-1
11) Run Slewpy Run: Scott Young, Floyd Wethey, Jr., 20-1

The other five stakes races sharing the card on Friday, Dec. 18, include:
Race 8 – $75,000 She’s All In Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and up, 1 mile-70yards
Race 9 – $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3-year-old Oklahoma-breds, 1 mile
Race 10 – $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred fillies, 1 mile
Race 12 – $200,000 Springboard Mile, 2-year-olds, 1 mile
Race 13 – $60,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile-70 yards

Tracked by more than 164,000 fans on Facebook and 10,500 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $254 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 open daily for casino gaming and simulcast horse racing. The $200,000 Springboard Mile, the top stakes event for 2-year-olds at Remington Park, is featured on Friday, Dec. 18. The 2020 Thoroughbred Season continues through Sunday, Dec. 20. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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