Ivan Fallunovalot readies for BC Sprint with Remington Park Sprint Cup win

Ivan Fallunovalot had a four-race win streak broken last year when finishing fourth in the Remington Park Sprint Cup, and was back at the Oklahoma City venue on Sunday to avenge that loss on Oklahoma Derby Day.

The $153,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup was just one of six undercard stakes, including the Remington Park Oaks, on the Oklahoma Derby (G3) program but may have turned into the most important race of the entire day thanks to Ivan Fallunovalot’s 2 1/2-length victory.

The race was billed as the five-year-old’s prep race for the October 31 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, and Ivan Fallunovalot signified his readiness with an easy win under jockey Calvin Borel.

Ivan Fallunovalot took up a close tracking spot just outside of Candip and Homerun Berti  through the half-mile in:21.88 and :44.32. Homerun Berti backed up rounding the turn, leaving Ivan Fallunovalot to begin his move and draw even with Candip entering the stretch.

The Valid Expectations gelding easily pulled away from there, finishing six furlongs over the fast Remington Park dirt in 1:08.42.

Ivan Fallunovalot has a tough task ahead of him if he runs in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Campaigned by Lewis E. Matthews Jr. and trained by W.T. Howard, the bay is now 4-2-0 from six starts this year, including wins in the King Cotton S. and David M. Vance Sprint S. He also placed in the Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) over the spring at Oaklawn Park, and boasts some nice triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings, but will be taking a major class hike on Halloween.

Speaking of Halloween, Ghost Locket turned in a “spooktacular” performance one race later to take the $75,000 Ricks Memorial S. With Shane Laviolette aboard, the Donnie Von Hemel charge earned her third straight win by 2 3/4 lengths.

The Dream Walkin Farms homebred kept pace just behind and outside of Rock and Glory as that mare opened up on the field. Once given her signal, Ghost Locket flew past the pacesetter on the turn and kept motoring to finish 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:40.69 as the 8-5 favorite.

It was just her second stakes score, and third overall stakes attempt, after a half-length victory in the Saylorville S. on June 26. The five-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper is now 9-5-3-0 on the year.

One race before the Remington Park Sprint Cup, Cougar Ridge went wide on the turn and powered down the center of the track to secure victory in the $100,000 Remington Green S. by a length over Code West, who attempted to sneak up on the inside. Jockey C.J. McMahon piloted the Randy Morse trainee, who completed 1 1/8 miles on the firm sod in 1:47.06.

Cougar Ridge began his career in Ireland with David Wachman, earning a second in the 2012 Round Table S. (Ire-G3), before shipping stateside and beginning a process of musical barns. Currently campaigned by Richard Bahde, the five-year-old gelding earned his second straight stakes win in the Remington Green after taking the Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial H. by four lengths on August 22.

Haveyougoneaway lived up to her 6-5 favoritism when kicking off the stakes action in the $50,000 Flashy Lady S., rallying to take command entering the stretch and drawing off to score by 4 1/4 lengths under jockey Jareth Loveberry.

Trained by Allen Milligan for Champion Racing Stable, the four-year-old chestnut ran six furlongs on the fast main track in 1:09.43 to earn her first stakes victory in this spot. The Congrats filly also boasts five stakes placings, including a third in the Remington Park Oaks from her sophomore campaign.

Bring It On Dude captured his stakes debut in wire-to-wire fashion in the $78,750 Kip Deville S. one race before the Remington Park Oaks. The C.R. Trout-bred-owned and -trained juvenile utilized the same tactics on August 14 to break his maiden by seven lengths, and was two lengths clear on Saturday under Loveberry while going six furlongs in 1:09.85.

Screenshot photo of Ivan Fallunovalot winning Remington Park Sprint Cup