Include Betty guts out Remington Park Oaks score

Include Betty proved a determined winner on Sunday at Remington Park, taking the track’s namesake $200,000 Remington Park Oaks by a half-length after a stretch-long battle with Sweet Opportunity.

That latter filly tracked the pacesetting Tosha Talifero through opening splits of :24.49, :49.12 and 1:14.10, but Include Betty was well out of it while running in her customary spot in the back of the field.

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke kept his cool, even though Include Betty was 8 1/4 lengths behind the winner on the backstretch. That margin shrunk drastically nearing the turn as the Include sophomore filly began picking off rivals.

Include Betty found herself four wide on the turn and angled over toward the inside a bit to engage Sweet Opportunity. Harlan’s Romance, three wide rounding the turn, also moved over but found her way blocked by Include Betty and steadied slightly.

That incident came back to briefly haunt the Tom Proctor trainee, who managed to eke out the half-length victory as the 1-5 favorite. After finishing 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt, Include Betty was headed to the winner’s circle when the announcement came that Jareth Loveberry, jockey aboard Harlan’s Romance, had claimed foul against Include Betty.

The stewards reviewed the tape and quickly disallowed the claim, making the race official with Include Betty the winner over Sweet Opportunity, who in turn had 1 1/4 lengths to spare on Harlan’s Romance.

Include Betty captured the Mother Goose S. (G1) in late June at Belmont Park, but struck out in her past two races when third in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama S. (G1) at Saratoga. The chestnut lass, campaigned by Timothy C. Thornton and co-breeder Brereton C. Jones, also boasts scores in the Fantasy S. (G3) and Suncoast S. from earlier this season.

Screenshot of Include Betty (outside) in the Remington Park Oaks