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Warrant’s Rail-Skimming Trip A Winning One In Oklahoma Derby At Remington Park

With two wins and four in-the-money finishes in his first six starts, Warrant came into the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby looking to improve on his last-out second-place finish in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. Under a rail-skimming ride from Joel Rosario, the son of Consitution got his first graded stakes victory in the G3 stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.

In a field that included Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Silver State and dual-G3 winner Mr. Wireless, Warrant took up position on the rail in fourth behind Flash of Mischief and Parrot Head around the first turn and down the backstretch. As the field approached the far turn, Rosario used the open lane on the rail to pull even with Flash of Mischief, briefly taking the lead on the turn. Flash of Mischief battled back to retake front-runner status as they hit the top of the stretch.

Into the Remington Park straightaway, Warrant rallied past Flash of Mischief as Silver State made his bid on the outside. The son of Constitution had too much momentum for his challengers, pulling away to a 1 1/2 length victory over Flash of Mischief and Silver State, with Team Merchants fourth. Mr. Wireless, Defeater, Dial in for Lute, and Parrot Head rounded out the order of finish. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.76.

Warrant paid $8.40, $4.00, and $2.60. Flash of Mischief paid $13.00 and $5.60. Silver State paid $2.80 to show. Find this race's chart here.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Twin Creeks Farm, Warrant is a 3-year-old colt out of the First Samurai mare Whisper Number. Trained by Brad Cox, Warrant has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for career earnings of $634,700.

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Oklahoma Derby Field Features Super Stock, Mr. Wireless

The $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby has collected a quality field for the Sept. 26 renewal at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. A cast of previous derby winners is featured in a field of eight to contest the 1-1/8 miles.

The Oklahoma Derby headlines a stellar stakes-laden program on Sept. 26, including the $200,000 Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks.

Warrant, from the strong barn of trainer Brad Cox, winner of the $300,000 Texas Derby in May at Lone Star Park, has been made the morning-line favorite at 5-2 odds. The Oklahoma Derby came up tough to determine a morning-line favorite with three past derby winners all extremely close in the equation. Joel Rosario will come into Remington Park to ride Warrant. He was also the pilot in the colt's score in the Texas Derby, over the slop on May 31.

Mr. Wireless, a two-time derby winner, has entered the Oklahoma Derby from the barn of trainer Bret Calhoun. Triumphant in the $500,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park on Aug. 7, and before that, the $300,000 Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand on July 7, Mr. Wireless will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez. Remington Park odds-maker Jerry Shottenkirk has set Mr. Wireless at 3-1 odds.

Super Stock, winner of the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April at Oaklawn Park has been tabbed the third morning-line favorite at 7-2 odds. Recently victorious in the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby in Kentucky on Aug. 15, Super Stock is trained by Steve Asmussen, racing's all-time winningest trainer, and will be ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the hottest jockey on Remington Park's biggest day since the mid-2010s.

Super Stock's Arkansas Derby win punched his ticket to the $3,000,000 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May, where he finished 16th in a field of 19

Trainer Karl Broberg has entered Flash Of Mischief, fresh off his score in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fanduel Fairmount Park. Joe Talamo handled the colt in his last derby and will be in for the mount again in the Oklahoma Derby. Flash Of Mischief is at 8-1 in the morning line.

The field for the Oklahoma Derby, by post position and program number order, with trainer, jockey, and morning-line odds:

1. Super Stock: Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, 7-2

2. Flash Of Mischief: Karl Broberg, Joe Talamo, 8-1

3. Warrant: Brad Cox, Joel Rosario, 5-2 (morning-line favorite)

4. Parrot Head: Ronnie Cravens, David Cabrera, 20-1

5. Team Merchants: Doug O'Neill, Mario Gutierrez, 6-1

6. Defeater: Tom Amoss, James Graham,12-1

7. Mr. Wireless: Bret Calhoun, Ramon Vazquez, 3-1

8. Dial In For Lute: C.R. Trout, Jose Alvarez, 15-1

The Oklahoma Derby will go as the 11th race of 12 at 8:11 pm.

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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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Medina Spirit Makes Successful Return In Shared Belief At Del Mar

With his title as 2021 Kentucky Derby winner still in legal limbo, Medina Spirit made his first start since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes, winning the Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar.

The son of Protonico went off as the race's favorite, broke fast, and led at every call to win the one-mile stakes under jockey John Velazquez.

The field of six broke cleanly from the gate, with Velazquez hustling Medina Spirit to the lead, followed by Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World on his outside and Reddam Racing's Team Merchants third. Through a first quarter in :22.52 and a half-mile in :46.92, Medina Spirit maintained his front-runner status, with Umberto Rispoli and Rock Your World close, never allowing the Bob Baffert trainee to be more than a three-quarters of a length ahead. They stayed 1-2 into the far turn, as both Rock Your World and Team Merchants loomed to Medina Spirit's outside entering the stretch.

Coming out of the turn, Rock Your World drifted out slightly, causing Team Merchants to veer into Stilleto Boy and forcing the latter to steady before running on down the center of the track. Rock Your World could not gain on Medina Spirit, who tenaciously hung on to his lead throughout the stretch run, flashing under the wire in front. Rock Your World was second, with Stilleto Boy third and The Great One fourth.

The final time for the one-mile Shared Belief Stakes was 1:37.29. Find this race's chart here.

The inquiry sign went up not long after the finish as the Del Mar stewards examined the action coming out of the far turn into the stretch when Team Merchants veered into Stilleto Boy. Because Team Merchants finished behind Stilleto Boy, the stewards decided not to make any changes to the order of finish. Medina Spirit was not affected by the inquiry.

Medina Spirit paid $3.80, $2.40, and $2.10. Rock Your World paid $2.80 and $2.20. Stilleto Boy paid $3.80 to show.

“It went the way we wanted it. Once I made the lead into the first turn, I felt better. He was moving well. When he got on the backside, his ears went up and he was really cruising. When a horse would come to him, he'd pick it up on his own. When we got to the quarter pole, I said 'Let's go; time to pick it up.' And he was right into it. He finished strong and the gallop out was strong, too. He can build off this race,” Velazquez said after the Shared Belief.

“It's a relief. A Shared Belief relief,” Baffert told the Del Mar media office after the race. “It's good that the fans were here for the showdown. I did not have any intention of running him in this race until a couple weeks ago. I started thinking about it, figuring it couldn't come up that tough. Then (son) Bode said, 'You know Rock Your World's running there?' For what this horse has gone through he's such a game horse and I wanted to run him here and see if he likes Del Mar. I've never had a Derby winner come back and win here so that's a first. He looks good and John (Velazquez) said he feels better than ever. There's still some good racing for him out there. We're waiting for the process to happen.”

Bred in Florida by Gail Rice, Medina Spirit is out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa. He is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, who purchased the 3-year-old colt from Whitman Sales for $35,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. With this win in the Shared Belief, Medina Spirit has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 8-4-3-1.

Additional stories about Baffert's Kentucky Derby positive and ensuing legal battles can be found here.

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