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.

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 in New Cumberland, W.Va., and the $300,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind. Record – six starts, four wins, one second, and no thirds for $670,150 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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Fulsome Takes Overland Route To Victory In Parx Racing’s Smarty Jones

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Fulsome rallied from last under Florent Geroux to win Tuesday's $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. The Grade 3 contest is for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles and attracted six runners.

Alonzo finished two lengths behind Fulsome in second, with The King Cheek another half-length back in third, with Ridin With Biden fourth, Fast Bob fifth and The Jones Boy sixth.

Fulsome, a son of Into Mischief out of the Distorted Humor mare, Flourish, covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:45.57. He paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite, winning for the fifth time in nine career starts. Among those victories was the listed Oaklawn Stakes on May 1 and the G3 Matt Win Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 29. Fulsome was coming off a third place finish to Mr. Wireless in the G3 Indiana Derby on July 7.

Fulsome is trained by Brad Cox.

The King Cheek jumped out to an early lead under Ruben Silvera, setting fractions of :23.12 and :46.75 for the opening half mile. Alonzo, who was in pursuit of the front-runner from the start, took command into the far turn, the first six furlongs clocked in 1:11.63.

Geroux allowed Fulsome to settle at the back of the pack, then commenced his rally around the far turn, going four wide into the stretch before overtaking Alonzo in mid-stretch, passing the mile marker in 1:38.79.

A local prep for the G1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25, the Smarty Jones was one of three stakes on the Parx Racing Tuesday card. A fourth stakes, the G3, $200,000 Parx Dash, was postponed until Aug. 31 after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Henri prompted track officials to take all races off the turf.

— St. Omer's Farm and Christopher Feifarek's Beren won the $100,000 Parx Summer Sprint Stakes under Frankie Pennington for trainer Robert “Butch” Reid Jr. Sent off the 2-5 favorite in a field of four 3-year-old sprinters, the Pennsylvania-bred colt by Weigelia won by 6 1/2 lengths over Marvalous Mike, with Privet Moon third. He went six furlongs in 1:10.19. The top three each earn free entry in the G2 Gallant Bob Stakes on the Pennsylvania Derby card.

— Bret Calhoun-trained Lovely Ride won the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, going a mile and 70 yards in 1:42.66 under Reylu Gutierrez. The Candy Ride filly paid $6.80 to win, with favored Leader of the Band finishing second. Lovely Ride is owned by her breeder, Allied Racing Stable. The Cathryn Sophia serves as a  prep for the G1 Cotillion Stakes, also on the Pennsylvania Derby program.

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‘Smart’ Money on the Chalk at Parx

Prohibitive favorite Fulsome (Into Mischief) sat back and came with his run to return to winning ways in Tuesday evening's GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx. A third-out graduate over the Fair Grounds sod in January, he was forced to try the main track two starts later in a rained-off, sloppy allowance at Keeneland Apr. 10, but found his calling that day when cruising to a 3 1/2-length victory. The bay added the Oaklawn S. May 1 over stablemate and next-out Texas Derby hero Warrant (Constitution), and took a major step forward on the Beyer Speed Figure scale, to 97, when he dominated a pair of GI Kentucky Derby also-rans in Churchill's GIII Matt Winn S. May 29. He could only manage third at 2-5 last time in the July 7 GIII Indiana Derby, but was flattered somewhat when winner Mr. Wireless (Dialed In) came back to annex the GIII West Virginia Derby earlier this month.

Slowest away, Fulsome settled in second last as his four other rivals scrambled for position into the first turn. The King Cheek showed the way with Alonso pressing through solid splits of :23 flat and :46 3/5. Fulsome was still under stout Florent Geroux restraint into the second bend, but soon began to pick off foes out wide as the leading pair were locked in battle. Kept far out in the track entering the stretch, the chalk struck the front and kept finding from there to confirm his perceived superiority.

Tuesday, Parx
SMARTY JONES S.-GIII, $300,000, Parx Racing, 8-24, 3yo,
1 1/16m, 1:45.57, ft.
1–FULSOME, 126, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Flourish, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Viviana, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Florent Geroux. $175,500. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-1,
$582,024. *1/2 to Mr Darcy (Harlan's Holiday), GSP, $263,876.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Alonzo, 121, c, 3, Brethren–Tizmetizyou, by Tiz Wonderful.
O/B-Arindel (FL); T-Juan Alvarado. $58,500.
3–The King Cheek, 126, g, 3, Laoban–Selfie, by War Chant.
($10,000 Wlg '18 FTNMIX; $4,500 Ylg '19 OBSOCT; $14,000
RNA 2yo '20 OBSOPN). O-Morris E. Kernan, Jr. & Jagger Inc.;
B-Pucker Ridge Farm LLC (NY); T-Jamie Ness. $29,250.
Margins: 2, HF, 2. Odds: 0.60, 3.40, 8.50.
Also Ran: Ridin With Biden, Fast Bob, The Jones Boy. Scratched: Antigravity, Doubleoseven, Indian Lake. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Fulsome's win comes off another strong weekend for the nation's leading sire, who was represented by two new 'TDN Rising Stars' on Saturday. Dam Flourish was a two-time winner, once on each surface. She is a half-sister to MGISWs Sightseek (Distant View) and Tates Creek (Rahy) and to the dam of European champion juvenile filly Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy). This is the female family of Bowman's Band, Etoile Montante, et al. Flourish has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Point of Entry and a yearling filly by Frosted. She sold to Sallusto & Albina for $145,000 at the last Keeneland November sale carrying a Twirling Candy filly. She was bred back to Into Mischief for 2022.

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Mr. Wireless Earns First Stakes Victory In Indiana Derby

Trainer Bret Calhoun picked up his second Indiana Derby victory in three years on Wednesday night as Mr. Wireless – a 3-year-old gelding by Dialed In – came from just off the pace under jockey Ramon Vazquez to win going away by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 contest at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind.

Winning for the third time in five starts – all in 2021 – Mr. Wireless covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.84. He paid $9.80 to win as the third wagering choice in the field of six 3-year-olds and picked up $178,200 as the winner's share of the $300,000 purse. He is owned by Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable. Mr. Wireless, produced from Voussoir, by Arch, was bred in Kentucky by John and Iveta Kerber, who race as JIL Stable.

Sermononthemount finished second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Fulsome, the 2-5 favorite from the Brad Cox stable who came into the Indiana Derby off three consecutive victories, including a last-out score in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 29. Starrininmydreams finished fourth, Convention fifth and W W Crazy, the early pace-setter fading to last.

Mr. Wireless, bobbled at the start but settled in just behind pacesetter W W Crazy, who set fractions of :24.16 and :48.31 for the opening half mile. Mr. Wireless grabbed the advantage before reaching the far turn, getting the opening six furlongs in 1:12.41, then was never challenged there, leading by 1 1/2 lengths at the furlong pole (with a mile split in 1:36.61) and drawing away under steady encouragement from Vazquez.

Mr. Wireless debut  with a fifth-place finish March 4 at Fair Grounds in Louisiana, then graduated with a nose victory going a mile at Oaklawn Park on March 27. He posted another nose victory next out, winning a May 1 allowance at the Arkansas track, then finished second in his stakes debut behind Warrant in the May 31 Texas Derby on a sloppy track at Lone Star Park.

Calhoun won the 2019 Indiana Derby with Mr. Money for Allied Racing Stable.

The Indiana Derby was the last of 12 races, including six stakes, on the afternoon/evening program at Indiana Grand. Spurred by $905,027 in new money on the Straight Fire 6 jackpot bet that had a mandatory payout and a $166,573 jackpot going in, nearly $6.3 million was wagered, exceeding the previous all-time high of $5,979,952 bet on last year's Indiana Derby card.

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