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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By My Standards Exits Whitney In Good Order, May Target Gold Cup Next

Trainer Bret Calhoun said he experienced “the highs and lows of racing in a matter of ten minutes” after seeing Mr. Wireless capture a second graded stakes triumph in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Racetrack in New Cumberland, W. Va., before saddling By My Standards to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Second in last year's Whitney to Improbable, Allied Racing and Spendthrift Farm's By My Standards stumbled and lost a front left shoe a few strides leaving the gate. Unable to catch pacesetter and winner Knicks Go, By My Standards trailed throughout finishing 15 ½ lengths off the winner.

Calhoun said By My Standards, a 5-year-old son of Goldencents, emerged from the race in good order.

“For what he went through, he came back pretty well, better than expected,” Calhoun said. “He stumbled twice and wasn't going to do too well without a shoe. The foot is a little sore and we got lucky it didn't tear anything up. He's just a little bruised up is all.”

A four-time graded stakes-winning millionaire, By My Standards arrived at the Whitney off a runner-up effort despite a troubled trip in the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5 at Belmont Park.

Calhoun said By My Standards could target the $1 million Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 4 at Saratoga.

“The Whitney was a race we had dialed in for quite some time,” Calhoun said. “Obviously, you don't know what to take from that race other than just drawing a line through it. We'll figure out where we go. I wouldn't think the Jockey Club is impossible. Knicks Go ran them off their feet, went fast early, and he kept on running. He just ran that race he ran in the Breeders' Cup.”

Mr. Wireless notched a second graded stakes triumph in the West Virginia Derby after winning the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 7 at Indiana Grand Race Course in Shelbyville, Ind.

Calhoun said the JIL Stable-owned son of Dialed In could return in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 25 at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa.

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Mr. Wireless Scores Second Consecutive Grade 3 Win In West Virginia Derby

With a large group of owners and supporters from several states in the Midwest and Southwest looking on, Mr. Wireless collected his second consecutive Grade 3 win with a gritty score in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby for 3-year-olds Aug. 7 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in New Cumberland, W.Va.

With regular rider Ramon Vazquez aboard in the 1 1/8-mile race, Mr. Wireless left the gate well from post position fpur and took early position to the outside of Kinetic Sky and Bourbon Thunder, who had little separation from the start to midway on the final turn through moderate fractions of :23.82 for a quarter-mile, :47.86 for a half-mile, and 1:12.48 for three-quarters of a mile.

Mr. Wireless took over near the top of the stretch, opened up by three lengths, and held on to win by 1¼ lengths over Warrant, who rallied from fourth on the far turn. The final time on a track rated fast was 1:52.49.

Mr. Wireless returned $5.20 to win as the slight favorite over Warrant, who had defeated him in the Texas Derby. Third choice Bourbonic closed late for third.

Trainer Bret Calhoun, who won the 2019 West Virginia Derby with Mr. Money, watched this edition on a television monitor at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he saddled By My Standards in the Grade I Whitney Stakes.

“He had good position the whole way around,” Calhoun said of Mr. Wireless, a Kentucky-bred gelding by Dialed In. “It looked like the rider was sitting on a lot of horse. I think it was a trouble-free race, and when Ramon asked him, he did his job.

“I hate to get to looking too far ahead for a horse's next race, but I would say the (Grade I) Pennsylvania (Sept. 25) is very possible.”

Mr. Wireless is owned by JIL Stable (John and Iveta Kerber, who also bred him). Part-owner Jon Lapcnzenski traveled from Oklahoma to West Virginia as did 12 people from Iowa and Wisconsin, including two of the Kerbers' daughters. It proved well worth the trip.

“I couldn't see the start because of where I was standing and going into the first turn, I saw he was three-wide,” Lapcnzenski said. “But Ramon (does what Ramon does—he got the horse to relax. And Mr. Wireless does what he does. He has only given up the lead once in his career. When he gets the lead he's all heart.”

Mr. Wireless now has four wins and a second in six starts and earnings of $670,150.

 

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Mr. Wireless Proves Best in the West Virginia Derby

Mr. Wireless had done very little wrong this season, and showed up once again Saturday to collect his second consecutive graded victory in Mountaineer's West Virginia Derby.

After finding himself in front heading into the first turn, Mr. Wireless was soon headed by Kinetic Sky and Bourbon Thunder as the duo took up position to his inside while Warrant was a couple of lengths back in fourth through an initial quarter in :23.82. Latched onto the outside flank of Bourbon Thunder following a :47.86 half, the 8-5 favorite drew on even terms with the leading Bourbon Thunder on the far turn and soon put his head in front, inching clear turning for home. Offered some left-handed encouragement by Ramon Vazquez in early stretch, the gelding drifted out slightly late, prompting his rider to switch to a right-handed stick late, but the gelding had enough left in reserve to fend off Warrant by a length at the wire. The GII Wood Memorial winner Bourbonic closed from out of the clouds to be third.

“There was inside speed and he was able to sit off those two horses,” explained Vazquez. “He put himself into a good position, and when he got the lead and he kept going.”

Added trainer Bret Calhoun, “He was in good position the whole way around, and looked like the rider was sitting on a lot of horse. He ran a trouble-free race, and when Ramon asked him, he did his job.”

In regards to the gelding's next race, he said, “I hate to get too far ahead with these things, but I'd say the [GI] Pennsylvania Derby [Sept. 25] is very possible.”

Fifth in his career bow going six furlongs at the Fair Grounds Mar. 4, Mr. Wireless gained a narrow decision next time going a mile at Oaklawn Mar. 27 before making it two straight with a score adding a sixteenth at the Hot Springs oval May 1. Narrowly defeated by Warrant in the May 31 Texas Derby, the bay asserted his dominance last time, taking the July 7 GIII Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand.

Pedigree Notes:
Mr. Wireless is out of Voussoir (Arch), also responsible for the year-older Ain't No Elmers (Goldencents), who recently made the running in the GII Honorable Miss H. at Saratoga before finishing third. The 15-year-old mare is also responsible for a 2-year-old full-sister to the West Virginia Derby winner named Ain't Broke and a Goldencents colt foal. She was bred back to Gun Runner.

Saturday, Mountaineer
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Mountaineer Casino & Resort, 8-7, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:52.49, ft.
1–MR. WIRELESS, 120, g, 3, by Dialed In
              1st Dam: Voussoir, by Arch
              2nd Dam: Blu Spur, by Northern Spur (Ire)
              3rd Dam: Seeking the Blue, by Seeking the Gold
O-JIL Stable; B-John & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-W. Bret Calhoun;
J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $311,500. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0,
$670,150. *1/2 to Ain't No Elmers (Goldencents), MGSP,
$268,435. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Warrant, 118, c, 3, Constitution–Whisper Number, by First
Samurai. O-Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC; B-Twin Creeks
Farm (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $100,000.
3–Bourbonic, 122, c, 3, Bernardini–Dancing Afleet, by Afleet
Alex. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $50,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 1.60, 1.80, 3.90.
Also Ran: Bourbon Thunder, Kinetic Sky, Americainaed. Scratched: Channel Fury.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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