Toastin Heros, under jockey Jacob #nriquez, captured the $100,000 Dee Raper Sooner State Stakes(RG1) Saturday night at Remington Park.

© Leann Noguera / StallioneSearch

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–APRIL 18, 2026–Toastin Heros surged to the front in deep stretch and held sway to capture the $100,000 Dee Raper Sooner State Stakes(RG1) Saturday night at Remington Park, covering 400 yards in a sharp 19.446 over a fast track.

A 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred son of champion sire Valiant Hero, Toastin Heros battled throughout before edging clear late to defeat the favored world champion Empressum by three-quarters of a length, with another head back to Hooked N Gone in third. The victory was worth $57,600 to owner and breeder Gene Cox and boosted the gelding's earnings total to $344,647

Trained by Clinton Crawford and ridden by Jacob Enriquez, Toastin Heros is out of the Coronas Leaving You mare Toastin With Coronas. The sorrel gelding was kept to task throughout and responded gamely under urging to secure the stakes triumph.

Empressum, an 8-year-old gelding by Apollitical Jess out of Crazy Down Corona (by First Down Dash), closed strongly under Rodrigo Vallejo but settled for second, earning $19,200 for owners Jeff D. Jones and Steve A. Holt and trainer Fernando Manriquez. The six-time champion winner of 25 races has earned over $2.53 million at the track.

Hooked N Gone, a 6-year-old by Pyc Paint Your Wagon out of Pretty Girl Kate (by Pretty Boy Perry), set or pressed the early pace before being overtaken late, finishing third for owner/breeder Regina Laymon, trainer Victor Ibarra, and jockey Jesus Ayala. He earned $10,560, bringing his total to $831,181.

The order of finish was Toastin Heros first, Empressum second, Hooked N Gone third, followed by B Aj, Js On Fire, Mystic Paint, Jessies First Card, Apolitical Time, and Holms.

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