Three stakes wins against fellow Oklahoma-breds and a second in her only open company attempt, earned Miss Code West the Horse of the Meeting honor at Remington Park for a second consecutive season. The 3-year-old filly received the most votes in the contentious category following the 2024 race meeting.
The solid efforts by Miss Code West throughout the season put her in special company. She joins Remington Park's all-time winningest horse, Welder, as the only two horses to win Horse of the Meeting more than once here.
Miss Code West is owned by Jeffry and Julie Puryear of Denton, Texas, and is trained by Kevin Scholl, who had only six stalls at Remington Park this season. Floyd Wethey, Jr., is the pilot for Miss Code West.
Miss Code West, a also won Champion status in two other categories - 3-year-old Female and Oklahoma-bred. She is a swift-hooved daughter of Code West, out of the Kipling mare Inca Miss.
Miss Code West won three stakes races this meet, the same as she won in 2023 when she earned her initial Horse of the Meeting accolade. This year's black-type races that she dominated were the Oklahoma Stallion Fillies Handicap on Sept. 6, the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Handicap on Oct. 18 and the Useeit Stakes on Dec. 13. Her only loss this meet was in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, an open-company affair, when she finished second to Alpine Princess.
Miss Code West won the Oklahoma Stallion Fillies by 5-1/4 lengths, the Oklahoma Classics Distaff by four lengths and the Useeit by 8-1/4 lengths. Wethey barely has to move on this filly and she puts forth a huge effort nearly every time she goes to the track.
"Really? She won again," Scholl asked. "I wasn't quite sure. I'm just grateful. To join Welder as the only other horse to win more than one, well, maybe we can break that record (three). He sure was a nice horse."
Scholl said the Puryears have given the go-ahead to run Miss Code West again at Remington Park and stay in racing until she shows them otherwise.
Miss Code West has raced only 12 times in her career, winning nine, and running second once for earnings of $390,934. The Puryears purchased her for $12,000 out of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale in 2022. She was bred by Remington Park's top owner this meet, Bryan Hawk, who also is a major breeder in Oklahoma.
Only Welder, with his 16 trips to the Remington Park winner's circle, had ever won the Horse of the Meeting title more than once and now Miss Code West has reached multiple-winner status. Welder, owned by Ra-Max Farms (the late Clayton Rash of Claremore, Okla.) and trained by Teri Luneack, is still one title ahead of Miss Code West after that Oklahoma-bred gelding won Horse of the Meeting from 2018-2020.
Miss Code West has now won seven races at Remington Park, only nine behind Welder's all-time record and she is only 3-years-old.
Here's a look at the Parade of Stars, the champion horses from the 2024 meet:
Coal Battle, Champion 2-Year-Old Male
Coal Battle won the war against the 2-1 wagering favorite Speed King down the stretch in the Springboard Mile on Dec. 13, with regular rider Juan Vargas in the irons. It was the only race Coal Battle ran at Reminton Park this season. He dug in and just got up at the wire by a half-length at 6-1 odds. Trainer Lonnie Briley said the next stop for this Kentucky-bred son of Coal Front, out of the Midshipman mare Wolfblade, would be Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., for that track's 3-year-old Triple Crown trail. Coal Battle earned 10 qualifying points toward the 2025 Kentucky Derby with his Springboard triumph. He is owned by Norman Stables (Robert Norman) of Thomasville, Ala., and was bred in Kentucky by Hume Wornall and Jay Adcock.
Jolly Samurai (2-time open-company stakes winner) and Mister Omaha (2-time Oklahoma-bred stakes winner) were also eligible for the 2-year-old award. They were both defeated by Coal Battle in the Springboard with Jolly Samurai fifth (7-1/2 lengths behind the winner) and Mister Omaha seventh (14-1/2 back).
Coal Battle has raced five times with three wins and career earnings of $307,625.
Glee, Champion 2-Year-Old Female
This Texas-bred filly by Honor A.P., from the Bluegrass Cat mare Red Tabby, won the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes on Sept. 29 here and then closed the meet in the inaugural Toby Keith Stakes on Dec. 13 when she stretched out around two turns for the first time in her career. Those two stakes triumphs were the only times she raced at Remington Park this season and they were good enough to gain her the 2-year-old Female honor.
Glee is owned by Mike G. Rutherford of Houston, Texas, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and was ridden to victory in her two stakes wins by top Remington Park jockey for the second year in a row, Stewart Elliott. Asmussen won his 19th training title this meet.
Glee improved her lifetime record to six starts, three wins, and one second for earnings of $128,659. She was bred by No Escape Ranch.
Most Wanted, Champion 3-Year-Old Male
This Kentucky-bred colt by Candy Ride (ARG), from the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, won the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 29 here in his only start of the meet. A top-shelf runner from the barn of nationally acclaimed trainer Brad Cox shipped in for owners Gary and Mary West and won the Derby by one length over E J Won the Cup who was in from the West Coast.
Most Wanted has been as good away from Oklahoma City as he was here for the derby. The colt broke his maiden at first asking at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. in June and then won an allowance race and the Ellis Park Derby at that Kentucky track over the summer. He was three-for-three coming to the Oklahoma Derby and did not disappoint. He took his only loss on Nov. 29 in the Grade 2 Clark Stakes at Churchill, losing by only three-quarters of a length to an older horse, and 2022 Oklahoma Derby winner, Rattle N Roll.
Most Wanted was bred by his owners. His lifetime record is 5-4-1-0, $636,553.
C W Prize, Champion Older Male
This Oklahoma-bred gelding by Code West, out of the Pure Prize mare M B Prize, was a three-time winner this meet for top owner-breeder Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla. The top victory came in the Jeffrey Hawk Memorial Stakes on Dec. 13. Not only did he win the Hawk, but he did it in style, pulling away by 3-1/2 lengths at the finish under jockey Richard Eramia, winning in open company.
Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer Joe Offolter trains C W Prize, a 4-year-old, who also won two allowance races against Oklahoma-breds this season. He was also the runner-up in two stakes races for Oklahoma-breds - the Oklahoma Classics Cup and the Silver Goblin Stakes.
C W Prize improved lifetime to 15-7-3-4, $236,426.
Doudoudouwanadance, Champion Older Female & Champion Turf Performer
This 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Magna Graduate, out of the Macho Uno mare Ebony Uno, won two categories as a champion this season, Older Female and Champions Turf Performer.
Owned and bred by Terry Westemeir of Broken Arrow, Okla., Doudoudouwanadance turned into quite the equine version of the most powerful lawn mower on the market. Once she was moved by trainer Scott Young from the dirt to the turf, she became virtually unbeatable. She won a pair of Oklahoma-bred stakes events on the lawn, the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf on Oct. 18, Bob Barry Memorial Stakes on Sept. 20. She also scored a second-level allowance race, against open company, on Aug. 29.
Doudoudouwanadance, named for the Beach Boys song, was ridden to victory in her Remington Park turf wins by Leandro Goncalves. She improved to 18-6-1-1, $260,394.
Jaxon Traveler, Champion Sprinter
A 6-year-old Maryland-bred horse by Munnings, out of the After Market mare Listen Boy, trained by Steve Asmussen, has been a terror this year at the shorter distances on the dirt, winning the top sprint race here annually, the David M. Vance Stakes on Sept. 29 going six furlongs. Jaxon Traveler also won an open-company allowance at five furlongs here on Aug. 17, posting an undefeated mark in two starts this season to garner the Champion Sprinter title.
Jaxon Traveler has won numerous times this year at other venues, with his most notable score in the Grade 3, $250,000 Whitmore Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. on March 16.
Jaxon Traveler is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and was ridden to victory in the David Vance Stakes and his allowance this season by Stewart Elliott. He was bred by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau.
Jaxon Traveler has run his record to 34-12-8-5 with earnings of $1,077,798. He became a millionaire with his win in the Vance Stakes.
Clay's Black Opal, Champion Claimer
This 4-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding, owned by D. Lynn Ferrell and trained by Jory Ferrell, was one of only two five-time winners this season (Artistic Vision the other). He earned his Champion Claimer title by winning a $5,000-claiming race for non-winners of four, an open $5,000-claiming race and three trips to the winner's circle in starter allowance-$5,000 conditioned races. His two claiming starts made him eligible for this category.
The speedy gelding also ran second twice in starter allowance-$10,000 or less conditions.
The first two wins for Clay's Black Opal this season came with David Cabrera aboard for trainer Tristan Ashford. Jory Ferrell claimed him for $5,000 from his second start on Sept. 4. Freddy Manrrique rode him to his last three wins for Ferrell.
Bred in Kentucky by Garland W. Clay, Clay's Black Opal is by Not This Time from the A.P. Indy broodmare Indy Cheers. Clay's Black Opal improved lifetime to 24-8-2-2 and $90,367 in total earnings with his Remington Park success.
The Remington Park seasonal Parade of Stars are determined through balloting of media covering the season and Remington Park racing personnel.
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