Alternation won a prolonged stretch battle to score by a nose in Saturday $200,000 Governor’s Cup S. [VIDEO] at Remington Park, the Oklahoma track’s premier race for older horses. The win was the fifth stakes score of the year from six attempts for the 4-year-old Distorted Humor colt who races in the colors of his breeder Pin Oak Stable.
Alternation is Distorted Humor’s leading earner of 2012, boosting his sire to sixth on the North American General Sire list with $5,301,436 in earnings.
As has been the case all year, Alternation was once again ridden by Luis Quinonez on Saturday. The nine furlong contest quickly developed into a two-horse race between the eventual winner and Prayer for Relief. The pair was never separated by more than a half-length the entire trip, making runs at each other time after time. In the final furlong, however, it was Alternation who would not let his foe by as the dark bay put his nose on the wire first to get the distance in an excellent 1:49.27.
“I just had to let him do what he does,” said Quinonez of Alternation’s effort. “I know my horse is going to try hard. He’s a fighter and I knew he wasn’t going to let me down.”
“I thought it was a tremendous effort tonight. We gave six pounds to the horse we almost got beat by,” said winning trainer Donnie Von Hemel in reference to Alternation carrying 124 pounds and the 118 toted by Prayer For Relief. “It was a big effort by both horses. To go the last eighth of a mile in 12-seconds flat, that’s racehorse time right there.”
Alternation won his ninth career race from 15 attempts and earned $120,000 for the effort to move his career earnings to $1,032,727. He was also the runner-up in the 2011 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.
