Creative Minister, the third-place finisher in the Preakness Stakes (G1) this spring, is expected for the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sunday, Sept. 25, at Remington Park.
Trainer Ken McPeek conditions the son of Creative Cause out of the Tapit mare Tamboz for owners Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, and Magdalena Racing.
Creative Minister was beaten by Early Voting in the Preakness by 3 1/2 lengths. He was only 2 1/4 lengths behind Epicenter, the Preakness runner-up who has since stamped himself as the top 3-year-old in the country.
The Oklahoma Derby, a race for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles, is set for the only Sunday of the meet. A total of eight stakes races are scheduled for the richest afternoon of the season – the cornerstone Oklahoma Derby, the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, the $150,000 David Vance Stakes for sprinters, the Flashy Lady Stakes, the Ricks Memorial Stakes, the Remington Green Stakes on the turf, the Kip Deville Stakes for 2-year-olds, and the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Creative Minister has yet to win a stakes race in his seven career starts but has been competitive with the best sophomore runners in the country. An indication of that is his $426,045 bankroll even though he is still eligible for non-winners of three races lifetime.
Another horse from the McPeek barn who is possible for the Oklahoma Derby is Rattle N Roll. The colt Connect out of the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune is coming off a win in the St. Louis Derby at the old Fairmount Park, now known as FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing. He won that race by 4 1/2 lengths. Earlier in the year, Rattle N Roll ran third to Cyberknife in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Brad Cox, who has saddled the three most recent winners of the Oklahoma Derby, is expected to ship Home Brew in for this year's edition. This son of Street Sense out of the Tapit mare Omnitap has won four of seven starts in his career with his top wins coming in the Oaklawn Stakes in Hot Springs, Ark., and Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. He won the Oaklawn Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on April 23 and scored by 6 1/4 lengths in the Pegasus on June 18. Cox trains the colt for owners Gary and Mary West.
Cox previously won the Oklahoma Derby with Owendale in 2019, Shared Sense in 2020, and Warrant last year.
Some of the other Oklahoma Derby prospects expected are:
- A. P.'s Secret – A colt by Cupid is trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., who won the Springboard Mile last year with Make it Big. A.P.'s Secret ran fourth in the Wood Memorial (G1) this spring while on the Triple Crown trail. He is owned by Anthony Gentry.
- Great Escape – A colt by Midnight Storm is coming off a win in the Canadian Derby (G3) for trainer Robertino Diodoro. The win came over the Century Mile track in Edmonton, Alberta. That was his first stakes triumph.
- Red Knobs – Another colt that Diodoro could send to the Oklahoma Derby. This son of Union Rags, like his stablemate Great Escape, has had some success in Canada. He won theManitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs, beating Great Escape. He then came back and ran second to him in the Canadian Derby the next out. The Manitoba Derby was at 1 1/8 miles, like the Oklahoma Derby, and the Canadian Derby was run at 1 1/4 miles.
- Maximum Impact – A colt by New Year's Day won an allowance race at Laurel Park in Maryland on Aug. 7 and is looking for his first stakes win for trainer Norman Cash and owner Built Wright Stables.
- King Ottoman– A colt by Curlin, won the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie on May 30 is seeking his second stakes triumph for racing's all-time winning trainer, Steve Asmussen. The Hall of Fame conditioner sent King Ottoman out to a third-place run in the Indiana Derby (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 9 before he finished fifth in the West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park on Aug. 6.
The post-position draw for the Oklahoma Derby will be conducted on Thursday morning, Sept. 22, in the Remington Park racing office.
The Oklahoma Derby program will cap the only five-date race week of the season. Remington Park action will take place Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 21-25. The first race nightly is at 7:07 p.m. (CT), with the Oklahoma Derby card on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
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