Oklahoma Derby in Five Days, More Arrivals Due Wednesday

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – More competitors are set to touch down in Oklahoma City this week for the state’s richest Thoroughbred race, the 21st running of the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. The annual renewal will be contested on Sunday afternoon at Remington Park.

The post-position draw takes place Friday morning in the Remington Park racing office and the field is continuing to grow as the race nears, now just five days away.

Fiddlers Afleet is expected to arrive by plane late Wednesday from his Belmont Park home-base in Elmont, N.Y. Owned by Marc Ferrell and Trained by Michael Hushion, the New York-bred colt by Northern Afleet turned in a final workout before shipping, posting five furlongs in 1:01.17 breezing at Belmont on Tuesday morning. The move was the 10th fastest of 24 at the distance.

The winner of the $150,000 Albany Stakes for New York-breds at Saratoga in August, Fiddlers Afleet has won three times in 12 races with four seconds and two third for overall earnings of $211,835.

While Fiddlers Afleet gains time flying from the eastern to central time zone, Massone will move forward in time, flying to Oklahoma City from his southern California base at Santa Anita. Owned by Frankfurt Stable and trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, Massone finished 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.

Zion, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds of Las Vegas, is scheduled to arrive by van from Kentucky on Wednesday. Trained by the continental-wide Steve 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.

Team Asmussen with horses competing at multiple North American locations, will also send out Retap in the Oklahoma Derby. A colt by Tapit, Retap put in a final workout on Tuesday morning at Remington Park, moving a half-mile in :49.60 seconds handily over a muddy surface. Assistant trainer Darren Fleming thought the work was fine, “He’s been here training and going very well. He’s a nice colt that was just beaten a nose last time in the Ruidoso Derby. He’s run some nice races in New Mexico.”

Also owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, 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.

Perfect Bull, second recently in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby in Iowa last month, is now definite for the Oklahoma Derby according to trainer Bernell Rhone. The colt by 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull breezed five furlongs in 1:05.01 over a sloppy Remington Park surface on Sunday morning.

Kelly Leak, third in the Grade 2, $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park on Labor Day, was on the track Tuesday morning at Remington Park continuing his local tune-up for the Oklahoma Derby. 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.

Machowsky will arrive at Remington Park for the weekend on Friday. He has enlisted Alonso Quinonez to ride out of southern California. The younger brother of Remington Park-based jockeys Luis and Belen Quinonez, Alonso is currently tied for fourth in the standings at Oak Tree-Santa Anita. He was eighth in the Del Mar standings this summer with 17 wins.

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.

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.

The connections of Jacks Again are considering the Oklahoma Derby. Owned by Gary & Mary West and trained by Chicago-based Wayne Catalano, Jacks Again is undefeated thru two starts at Arlington Park this summer. He broke his maiden status at first asking, going seven furlongs on Sept. 4 and winning by 5-1/4 lengths.

Valid Message, trained by Justin Evans, remains 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. He has three career wins from 11 attempts with three seconds and one third while accumulating $149,360 in earnings.

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.

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.

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, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.