Oklahoma Derby in 6 Days, Peach Brew Leaves Door Open

In just six 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.

Monday, October 5th 2009, 4:52 pm

By: News 9


News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – In just six 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.

The post-position draw takes place Friday morning in the Remington Park racing office. Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel has won the Oklahoma Derby three times and is still the only trainer to capture the race more than once.

Talented 3-year-old filly Peach Brew is expected to go in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, on the undercard of the Oklahoma Derby this Sunday. Owned by Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Peach Brew is fresh off her victory in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff last month against Oklahoma-breds.

“More than likely she’ll be entered in the Oaks on Friday,” Von Hemel noted. “We’ve left the door open to run her in the Derby by nominating to both races.”

While not against pitting a female against males, Von Hemel believes they have to be very special to get the attempt.

“I don’t just run fillies against males unless I think we have an extremely outstanding filly that could handle the competition. Peach Brew has done very well this year in winning the Grade 3 Arlington Park Oaks and the Classics Distaff. She also ran third behind Rachel Alexandra in the Martha Washington at Oaklawn at the start of the year. She has a lot talent but for now she’ll stay against other fillies.”

Peach Brew has earned $256,006 overall with four wins, three seconds and three thirds from her 15 career races.

Von Hemel won the very first Oklahoma Derby (known then as the Remington Park Derby) in 1989 with Clever Trevor, who still resides at his farm in Piedmont, Okla. at the age of 23.

Von Hemel’s other Oklahoma Derby winners were Queen’s Gray Bee (1991) and Going Ballistic (2007). A recent addition to the Millionaire Club in the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park, Going Ballistic followed his win in the $150,000 Governor’s Cup here on Labor Day with a solid third-place finish in last weekend’s Grade 2, $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup.

Perfect Bull, second recently in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby in Iowa last month, is still considering the Oklahoma Derby and as of now is about 90-percent to be going in the race 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. Perfect Bull is also being considered for a race at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. later this month.

Kelly Leak, third in the Grade 2, $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park on Labor Day, is at Remington Park and worked Sunday morning, 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. Machowsky will arrive at Remington Park for the weekend on Friday. He is considering naming a jockey based in southern California to ride Kelly Leak but won’t confirm until later this week.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 1:30 p.m.

Remington Park is a Top 3 North American Racetrack according to the Horseplayers Association of North America rating system. Remington Park is Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino, located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. Open every day at 10am, Remington Park offers full-card simulcast racing and casino gaming.

For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit Remington Park's Web site.

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