With Oklahoma Classics win, Rowdy Yates on course for Springboard Mile

Rowdy Yates’ opportunity to make a name for himself nationally may be on the rebound after winning the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Friday night at Remington Park.

The horse, named for the 1960s television character played by Clint Eastwood on Rawhide, was working his way through Kentucky earlier this year, making a name for himself at Churchill Downs and Ellis Park. The 2-year-old colt ran second, beaten three-quarters of a length in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, sprinting six furlongs on June 29. He then shipped and won the $100,000 Ellis Park Juvenile at seven furlongs by 2-1/4 lengths.

The brakes were put on in his next start as Rowdy Yates finished fifth, beaten 7-1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill on Sept. 14. But that race may have been deceiving.

“He had a rough trip in that race,” said one of the owners with L and N Racing of Tulsa, Okla., Lee Levinson, prominent attorney there. “He only got beat a head bob for third in that race and the horse that won, Dennis’ Moment, is the top 2-year-old in the country.”

Dennis’ Moment, trained by Dale Romans and ridden by one of the perennial top riders in the country, Irad Ortiz, worked a bullet five furlongs at Churchill on Friday in :58.60 in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

Rowdy Yates’ loss to Dennis’ Moment may not be as bad as it, at first, appeared. That was the Tulsa colt’s first try around two turns. His win Friday night in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile came at six furlongs.

“I hope we’re back for the Springboard Mile,” Levinson said. “One of our dreams is to go back to the Kentucky Derby (they had Lookin at Lee, who ran second in the Derby at 33-1 odds in 2017). We’d like to see him be able to stretch out still.”

Jockey Richard Eramia believes Rowdy Yates can still be a Kentucky Derby type of horse.

“I felt like I still had a lot of horse left under me at the finish,” he said.

Eramia, who broke a bone in his back three weeks ago, said he is fine now and this horse made him feel even better.

“A good horse can sure make you look good,” he said.

Rowdy Yates was a bargain, too. L and N Racing bought him at the October Fasig-Tipton Sale in Kentucky in 2018 for $42,000. His pedigree isn’t the kind you’ll find on horses that sell in the millions or even hundred-thousands.

“We had a tip that he was going to be a nice horse at the sale,” Levinson said. “He’s out of a nothing mare and people thought we were crazy to give forty-some-thousand for him. We just thought he was good looking and we rolled the dice, hoping to get lucky.”

Rowdy Yates, bred in Oklahoma by Tracy Strachan, stopped the timer in 1:10.90 seconds after taking over the lead after a half mile, and battling with front-runner Fly to the Bank to the wire. Interior fractions for the race were :21.87 seconds for the first quarter-mile, :45.13 for the half-mile, and :57.65 for five-eighths of a mile.

Conditioned by leading Remington Park trainer Steve Asmussen, Rowdy Yates was the heavy betting choice at 1-5 odds. The son of Morning Line, out of the Yes It’s True mare Spring Station, paid $2.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show.

Fly to the Bank, previously unbeaten in his first two starts, finished second, 3-1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Okie Heater.

This was the first win for L and N Racing and Asmussen in the Classics Juvenile. Rowdy Yates gave Eramia his second career win in the race as he also scored aboard Picaso in 2007.