Oklahoma Derby One Week Away, Field Taking Shape

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – In just seven days, the state’s richest Thoroughbred race takes place at Remington Park with the 21st running of the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, presented by NEWS 9.

As the day pages peel off the calendar, the field will continue to form up to the morning of the official post-position draw in the Remington Park racing office on Friday. At seven days out, horsemen continue to deliberate and make decisions about competing.

For the first time in Remington Park’s history, a Kentucky Derby winner was nominated to state’s premier Thoroughbred event. Mine That Bird, the surprising 50-1 winner of the Kentucky Derby this year, is on the list of those nominated for the race. However, the deep-closing gelding is currently stabled at Santa Anita in southern California where he is preparing for next month’s Breeders’ Cup Championships. At this time it appears he will stay there to compete in the Grade 1, $350,000 Goodwood Stakes on Oct. 10.

Charitable Man, highly respected after his win in the Futurity Stakes as a 2-year-old at Belmont last year, was nominated by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Owned by Mr. & Mrs. William Warren of Tulsa, Charitable Man was fourth most recently in the $1,000,000 Travers Stakes at Saratoga in upstate New York. He is now taking time before his next start as he worked a half-mile on Oct. 19 at Belmont Park and apparently didn’t come out of the drill as well as hoped.

Kensei, winner of the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga this summer prior to running sixth in the Travers, has also been nominated for owners Stonestreet Stables and Gulf Coast Farms. Conditioned by the world’s leading trainer Steve Asmussen, Kensei started his 3-year-old campaign with a win at Oaklawn Park in an April allowance. He boasts four wins from eight starts with career earnings of $538,628. At the moment the Mr. Greeley colt remains possible for the Oklahoma Derby but is still in New York and could be leaning to a start in the Grade 2, $150,000 Jerome Handicap at Belmont Park on the same afternoon as the Oklahoma Derby.

The massive Asmussen operation, with horses in multiple North American locations, is expected to have at least one starter in the Oklahoma Derby and maybe more. Retap is on the grounds at Remington Park and has put in two works here, most recently a six-furlong drill in 1:13.32 handily on Sept. 28. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds of Las Vegas, Retap was third in the Grade 3, $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile as a 2-year-old in September 2008 with his last win in the $100,000 Allison Futurity at Sunland Park in December last year. Recently he was second, beaten a nose, in the $50,000 Ruidoso Downs Thoroughbred Derby on Sept. 5.

Zion, also owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, is another possible out of the Asmussen operation. The colt by 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch won an allowance event on Sept. 19 at Arlington Park. He was fourth in the Grade 3, $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity in September 2008 and fourth in the Grade 2, $150,000 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in November 2008.

Kelly Leak, third in the Grade 2, $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park on Labor Day, is at Remington Park and worked this week, moving six furlongs in 1:13.58 handily over a sloppy track. Trained by Michael Machowsky, Kelly Leak has won three career races, most recently the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby in late March, where he defeated Mine That Bird, who finished fourth.

Join in the Dance, second in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, ran yesterday in the Grade 2, $150,000 Ohio Derby and finished fourth.

Duke of Mischief, winner of the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows in June, before running fifth in the Haskell behind super-filly Rachel Alexandra and then fourth in the Pennsylvania Derby, is leaning heavily toward the Oklahoma Derby. Trainer David Fawkes said recently in the Daily Racing Form that Oklahoma City would be the next stop for Duke of Mischief.

Massone, third in the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April and third in last month’s Grade 2, $750,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, remains a possible for the Oklahoma Derby. Trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, Massone worked a half-mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 28 in 49-seconds handily.

Valid Message, trained by Justin Evans, remains a possible for the Oklahoma Derby. A 3-year-old colt by Valid Expectations, Valid Message has run second in two consecutive allowance races over the turf this season at Remington Park, finishing behind older stakes winners Ernesto and Beta Capo. Valid Message last tasted victory in the $100,000 El Joven Stakes at Retama Park in November 2008. He has three career wins from 11 attempts with three seconds and one third while accumulating $149,360 in earnings.

Perfect Bull, second recently in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby in Iowa last month, is still considering the Oklahoma Derby. The colt by 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull breezed five furlongs in 1:05.01 over the sloppy Remington Park surface this morning. Trained by Bernell Rhone, who just saddled his 1,000th career winner a week ago, Perfect Bull is also being considered for a race at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. later this month.

Red Lead, fifth in the Grade 2, $750,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs last month is pointing for the Oklahoma Derby. Owned by Frontier Stables and trained by Chris Hartman, the gelding by 2000 Preakness Stakes winner Red Bullet is stabled at Remington Park.

Peach Brew, the talented 3-year-old filly trained by Donnie Von Hemel, has been nominated to both the Oklahoma Derby and the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, also on Oct. 11. Owned by Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla., Peach Brew won the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Park Oaks in July before returning to face Oklahoma-breds in winning the $70,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff on Sept. 26.

Bunker Hill, trained by Derek Ryan who saddled Musket Man to third-place finishes in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness this year, remains a possible for the Oklahoma Derby, pending travel arrangements. Stabled at Philadelphia Park, Bunker Hill was fifth in the Pennsylvania Derby on Labor Day and was second recently in the $70,000 Big Brown Stakes at Monmouth Park. He has won three races from 11 starts with four seconds on the resume, helping earn $259,804 overall.

Another with connections attempting to make flight arrangements for the Oklahoma Derby is Fiddlers Afleet, winner of the $150,000 Albany Stakes for New York-breds at Saratoga in August. Trained by Michael Hushion, the colt by Northern Afleet has won three times in 12 races with four seconds and two third for overall earnings of $211,835. He is currently stabled at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Also on the Oklahoma Derby undercard on Oct. 11, the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks and the $150,000 Remington Green Stakes.

The first race on Sunday, Oct. 11 will be at 1:30pm.

For more information, visit remingtonpark.com.