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O’Neill Confirms Team Merchants For Oklahoma Derby At Remington Park

West Coast-based trainer Doug O'Neill has confirmed he will enter Team Merchants in the $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Sunday, Sept. 26, stakes coordinator Don Thompson has announced.

O'Neill said Team Merchants should arrive in Oklahoma City via a FedEx jet from California on Sept. 22. O'Neill, trained two horses to Kentucky Derby wins – Nyquist in 2015 and I'll Have Another in 2012. Team Merchants is a Kentucky-bred son of Nyquist, out of the Square Eddie mare Edwina E. The colt, bred and owned by Reddam Racing, is lightly raced with five starts, two wins, and $88,940 earned. His regular rider is Mario Gutierrez, who rode both of O'Neill's Kentucky Derby winners in their run for the roses. Team Merchants has yet to win a stakes race in his career.

Keepmeinmind, a 3-year-old that lost by a neck to Essential Quality in the $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this summer, has been nominated to the Oklahoma Derby, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26 at Remington Park. Keepmeinmind is trained by Robertino Diodoro and owned by Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm.

Others already announcing earlier their expectation to run in the Oklahoma Derby include Arkansas and Ellis Park Derby winner Super Stock out of Steve Asmussen's barn. Asmussen is the all-time winningest trainer in racing history.

Fulsome, a colt by the top sire in the country, Into Mischief, out of the Distorted Humor mare Flourish, could be sent to the Derby by Brad Cox for Juddmonte Farms. Cox is the second-leading trainer in the country behind Asmussen in earnings this year. Fulsome has won four of his last five starts, including the $300,000 Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx in Philadelphia. He also won the $150,000 Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Mr. Wireless, a gelding by Dialed In, out of the Arch mare Voussoir, is from trainer Bret Calhoun's barn and runs for owner JIL Stable. He has won four of his last five starts, including two Grade 3 races – the $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park and the $300,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand.

King Fury, a colt by Curlin, out of the Flatter mare Taris, resides in trainer Kenny McPeek's barn. He is owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Fern Circle Stables and has a win in the $200,000 Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., in April, before running second in the $500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio in June.

Remington Park racing concludes this week with a nine-race card Saturday, Sept. 18, the first post is 7:07 p.m. Central.

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Keepmeinmind Heads List Of Nominees For Oklahoma Derby

Keepmeinmind, a 3-year-old that lost by a neck to Essential Quality in the $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this summer, has been nominated to the $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby, scheduled for Sept. 26 at Remington Park.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro nominated Keepmeinmind to the Oklahoma Derby for owners Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm. Leading trainer in the country, Steve Asmussen, has nominated four 3-year-olds to the 1 1/8th-mile race. Among Asmussen's four is Super Stock, winner of the $1 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby. Dallas Stewart also nominated four. Stewart made a name for himself with second-place finisher Golden Soul in the Kentucky Derby to Orb. He had already built a reputation coming up under National Racing Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. Lukas put him in charge of such legendary horses as Lady's Secret, Thunder Gulch, Tabasco Cat, Serena's Song, and Timber Country.

Asmussen is currently No. 1 in the country for earnings with his horses pocketing $22,314,211 so far this year. Brad Cox, who is the second-leading trainer on that list with $21,377,903 in earnings, nominated two horses to the Oklahoma Derby.

Here's a closer look at some of the top nominations for the Derby, one of two Remington Park cornerstone races during the thoroughbred meeting (bred in Kentucky unless otherwise noted):

Keepmeinmind, a son of Laoban, out of the Victory Gallop mare Inclination, oddly enough is still eligible for non-winners of two career race allowance events despite nearly beating arguably the top 3-year-old in the country, Essential Quality in the Jim Dandy. Essential Quality has won eight of nine races lifetime, losing only once, as the 5-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby in May. Keepmeinmind came back after the Jim Dandy and ran a respectable fourth in the top 3-year-old summer race, the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, a $1.25 million race at Saratoga in upstate New York. This colt broke his maiden in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., as a 2-year-old. Record – 11 starts, one win, three seconds, and two thirds for $739,987 in his bankroll.

Super Stock, winner of Arkansas Derby and Ellis Park Derby this year, is a son of Dialed In, out of the Closing Argument mare Super Girlie, is the top prospect from Asmussen for owners Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen. He won at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., in its top race on April 10 and then went off form before getting back to the winner's circle in the Ellis Park Derby at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., on Aug. 15. Record – 12 starts, three wins, two seconds, and two thirds for $957,677.

Fulsome, a colt by the top sire in the country, Into Mischief, out of the Distorted Humor mare Flourish, could be sent to the Derby by Cox for Juddmonte Farms. He has won four of his last five starts, including the $300,000 Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx in Philadelphia. He also won the $150,000 Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. Record – nine starts, five wins, one second, and one third for $582,024 in earnings.

King Fury, a colt by Curlin, out of the Flatter mare Taris, resides in trainer Kenny McPeek's barn. He is owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Fern Circle Stables. He has a win in the $200,000 Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., in April and then ran second in the $500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio in June. Record – nine starts, three wins, and one second for $412,739 in earnings.

Will's Secret, a Stewart filly that has earned some big bucks in 2021. This daughter of Will Take Charge, out of the Giant's Causeway mare Girls Secret, began the year by winning the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn for owner Willis Horton Racing. She followed that with a victory in the $300,000 Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes, also at Oaklawn. She also has run in the biggest race of the year for 3-year-old fillies in the $1.25 million Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She finished third behind the top 3-year-old filly in the country, Malathaat. It was the second third-place finish for her behind that monster, also losing in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes. Record – 10 starts, three wins, and four thirds for $536,300 in earnings.

The Oklahoma Derby headlines a big stakes afternoon on the only Sunday scheduled during the Remington Park season. Also on the agenda:

$200,000 Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks
$150,000 David M. Vance Stakes
$100,000 Remington Green Stakes
$75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes
$75,000 Kip Deville Stakes
$50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes
$50,000 E. L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes

Racing continues Wednesday-Saturday, Sept. 15-18, with the first race nightly at 7:07pm Central.

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Second Chances: Don’t Wait Up

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Nominated to Monday's GI Hopeful S. after a too-good-to-lose second on debut at Saratoga Aug. 14, Don't Wait Up (c, 2, Upstart–Lovely Marissa, by Proud Citizen) will instead return in a maiden special weight on the closing day card.

Given a 7-1 chance to win at first asking going six furlongs, he was away last of 10 from post nine after veering in and bumping with a rival at the start.

The bay was on the move beneath Javier Castellano to race in an outside fifth through an opening quarter in :22.27 and made an eye-catching, four-wide bid to challenge for command approaching the quarter pole.

He set his sights on the pacesetting Power Agenda (Nyquist)–entered in a loaded renewal of the Hopeful–as they straightened from home, and, after racing shoulder to shoulder with that game rival down the stretch, just came up a nose short with heads bobbing up and down on the line. Don't Wait Up earned a 76 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Don't Wait Up returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :48.12 (7/42) over the Oklahoma training track Aug. 28. Trainer Tony Dutrow has quietly enjoyed a nice meeting from limited action at the Spa, sporting a record of 12-3-4-2 at the stand.

“He's always trained very good and then he came up here to Saratoga for his first race and he ran very well,” Dutrow said. “We were very happy with him.”

He continued, “Personally, I like when some adversity happens– dirt hits them in the face, they're among horses, etc.–in a first-time starter's race. The more experience they can get out of their first race, the more they're gonna put that to use in the future.”

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, Don't Wait Up brought $200,000 from Bluewater Sales, agent, on behalf of Cypress Creek Equine after firing a :9 4/5 bullet from the Woodford Thoroughbreds, Agent CLV, consignment at OBS April. He previously was a $1,500 KEENOV weanling and a $23,000 OBSJAN short yearling. Don't Wait Up is the second foal out of the winning mare Lovely Marissa, a daughter of GI Spinaway S. third and blowout Saratoga debut winner Valiant Passion (Lion Heart).

Don't Wait Up takes on a full field of nine rivals going six furlongs for his second start.

“The first time horses run, it can be a very overwhelming experience for them, but Don't Wait Up took everything very well,” Dutrow said. “He certainly learned a great deal and went through a lot in the race. He came out of it very good, we gave him a workout back, and we're looking forward to getting him back out there on the track. We'll just have to see what exactly became of his experience in his next race Monday. It's his second start and we'll take it from there.”

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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Sifting Sands Rallies Late To Win Better Talk Now At Saratoga

Peter Brant's Sifting Sands ran down pacesetter Dreamer's Disease in deep stretch from the outside and got up in the final jumps to post a victory by a head in Sunday's $120,000 Better Talk Now for 3-year-olds contesting at one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The seventh edition of the Better Talk Now, restricted to sophomores who have not won a stakes at a mile or over, saw Sifting Sands win his first career stakes and improve to 2-for-2 this year at Saratoga while extending trainer Chad Brown's meet-leading win total to 34 with six racing days remaining.

Sifting Sands broke well from the outermost post under jockey Manny Franco, tracking in third position as Dreamer's Disease led the eight-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :23.79 and the half in :47.14 over firm going.

Jockey David Cohen kept Dreamer's Disease tucked inside out of the final turn and maintained the edge into the stretch, with three-quarters of a mile going in 1:10.96. Sifting Sands, who Franco put in the three-path when straightened for home, capitalized on running room by displaying an impressive late turn-of-foot, overtaking Wolfie's Dynaghost to his inside before collaring Dreamer's Disease in the final sixteenth, completing the course in a final time of 1:35.12.

“We learned not to get in his way too early. You can't grab him right away,” Franco said. “You have to give him his head and then when you get your position, just leave him comfortable. He seems like he likes it like that.”

The British-bred Sifting Sands won for the third time in five starts and for the second consecutive race after also getting his picture taken when besting allowance company on July 24 at Saratoga. The Dubawi colt, off at 8-1, returned $18.80 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career earnings to $139,190.

Brown said Sifting Sands has turned the corner after running a disappointing seventh in the 1 1/16-mile Woodhaven, his stakes debut in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., where he failed to make an impact after a wide trip with Franco aboard for the first time. The conditioner gave Franco the return call next out, with the move paying immediate dividends.

“I really have to compliment Manny. In his last two rides, they really worked as a team,” Brown said. “He had a disastrous race down at Aqueduct but we stuck with Manny because we thought we learned something with him and I learned a lot as well. He's really executed these last two races perfect by just letting him run. He can be a headstrong horse. He let him run into the first turn freely and get into position in his last two starts and that has made the difference.”

Sifting Sands raced just once as a juvenile, running sixth in his debut in September 2020 at Saratoga before being given a six-month freshening.

“Last summer here, [among] my male turf horses, he would have been in my top three I was looking forward to running. It just didn't work out in his 2-year-old year,” Brown said.

Brown said he could eventually stretch Siftings Sands out even further as he targets the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

“We'll see where he goes from here,” Brown said. “I think by the end of this year I could get this horse out to a mile and an eighth in the Hollywood Derby. We'll see between now and then what we do.”

Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith's Dreamer's Disease lost on a bad beat for a second consecutive time, having been bested by a neck last out when Step Dancer got up in the shadow of the wire in the New York Stallion Stakes Series Cab Calloway on July 28.

The Laoban gelding, who finished sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year at Keeneland for trainer Robertino Diodoro, still bested Wolfie's Dynaghost by two lengths for runner-up honors, earning stakes black type for a second time.

“He's a horse who can throw out some pretty rapid clips,” Cohen said. “You can see throughout his career for him a 23 and change and 47 is so much in his comfort zone and doing it easily; I was happy with those. Last time, we got away with a little slower times. We got run down by a good horse today. Congrats to the winner, but our horse dug in. I'm happy with his performance and he showed a lot of heart.”

Danzigwiththestars finished fourth, with Dr Jack, Ranger Fox, In Effect, and 3-1 favorite Straw Into Gold completing the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Wednesday with a 10-race card highlighted by the $150,000 Grade 3 With Anticipation for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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