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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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 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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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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“I knew it weeks ago,” said John Sadler, who switched targets with Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World from the Del Mar Derby to the Shared Belief and beat Baffert to the announcement by a few days. “It was the worst kept secret in the stable area.”

Without the benefit of the grapevine, trainer Doug O'Neill figured out the Medina Spirit entry a couple of weeks ago. It was the Rock Your World commitment that came as something of a surprise to O'Neill.

“When Medina Spirit worked 1:11 and change (6f, 1:11.80 on August 12), I assumed that's where he was headed,” O'Neill said Friday morning. “I didn't know about Rock Your World.”

The developments were of great interest, of course, since O'Neill had two of his own charges set for the one-mile main track test for 3-year-olds.

“What a tough spot with the Kentucky Derby winner and the Santa Anita Derby winner,” O'Neill conceded.

O'Neill's entrants are Team Merchants, J. Paul Reddam homebred son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and The Great One, another son of Nyquist owned by Erik Johnson, a defenseman with National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche, and partners.

Team Merchants posted a half-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs on the opening day of the meeting, July 16, that was his second win in four career starts. The Great One opened his 3-year-old campaign with a 14-length maiden-race victory at Santa Anita in January, but was overmatched and overwhelmed in both the Grade 2 San Felipe and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

“Team Merchants we're looking to stretch his ability out to two turns – win, lose or draw,” O'Neill said. “The Great One just needs a place to run. He's ready to get back to the races and we've been targeting this one for awhile. It's a good place to start for steps down the road.”

The Great One was beaten 16 ¾ lengths by Life Is Good and eight by Medina Spirit in the San Felipe. The margins were 20 ½ behind Rock Your World and 15 ¾ by Medina Spirit in the Santa Anita Derby.

“It was all mental, physically he was OK,” O'Neill said. “One of the owners has a beautiful place in Ocala, FL, so we sent him down there for about six weeks to freshen him up. He's been back and is training good and looking good. Whether he's good enough to beat these guys is a real question, but we're excited to have him back at the races.”

The field for the Shared Belief Stakes from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Willy The Cobbler (Victor Espinoza, 20-1); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, 7/5); Rock Your World (Umberto Rispoli, 8/5); Team Merchants (Mario Gutierrez, 5-1); The Great One (Flavien Prat, 6-1), and Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1).

While post position isn't likely to prove crucial, Rock Your World's trainer John Sadler said he was glad to be outside Medina Spirit as the marquee runners drew side-by-side posts.

“It will give us options,” Sadler said.

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Hot Rod Charlie worked five furlongs at Santa Anita Saturday in a bullet :59.40, fastest of 64 drills at the distance. A narrow winner in his fourth career start at Santa Anita on October, Hot Rod Charlie closed to finish second-at whopping odds of 94-1–behind likely 2020 2-year-old male Eclipse champion Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 6.

“Hot Rod Charlie is doing great and we’re pointing him to the [GIII] Bob Lewis S.,” said O’Neill, referring to the Robert B. Lewis S. at a mile and a sixteenth Jan.  30.

The Lewis, first run in 1935 as the Santa Catalina S., offers 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher and one to the fourth.

A son of O’Neill’s former pupil Nyquist, Wipe the Slate also worked Saturday, covering five furlongs in 1:01.20. Wearing blinkers for the first time, Wipe the Slate scored an impressive maiden win Dec. 26 at Santa Anita after finishing second in his debut to undefeated Sham S. winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Life Is Good (Into Mischief) at Del Mar Nov. 22.

“Wipe the Slate is doing super, but I’m not sure where he’s going to blend in after that win,” O’Neill said. “It’s been two weeks, so we really haven’t pointed him to the next spot.

Also a son of the 2015 champion juvenile colt, Team Merchants won at second asking at Saratoga Sept. 7 after being fractious in the gate.

“Team Merchants had a little injury, so he’s at the farm until he’s 100%,” O’Neill added, alluding to principal owner J. Paul Reddam’s Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsall.

Reddam Racing owned both of O’Neill’s Derby winners and the team also combined to take the Lewis with Great Hunter in 2007 and I’ll Have Another in 2012.

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The 52-year-old Michigan native lists Hot Rod Charlie, Wipe the Slate and Team Merchants among his well-regarded sophomores.

Hot Rod Charlie shocked the world finishing second at 94-1 by only three-quarters of length to probable 2020 2-year-old male Eclipse champion Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last Nov. 6.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, Wipe the Slate, a son of O'Neill's 2016 Derby winner Nyquist, scored an impressive maiden win Dec. 26 at Santa Anita after finishing second in his debut to undefeated Sham Stakes winner Life Is Good at Del Mar last Nov. 22. Nyquist is America's leading freshman sire who stands for $75,000 at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky.

O'Neill also won the 2012 Run for the Roses with I'll Have Another.

“Hot Rod Charlie is doing great and we're pointing him to the Bob Lewis,” said O'Neill, referring to the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on Jan. 30.

Hot Rod Charlie worked five furlongs Saturday in a bullet 59.40, fastest of 64 drills at the distance, the average time of which was 1:01.99. Wipe the Slate went five furlongs in 1:01.20.

Named in memory of businessman and Thoroughbred owner Robert B. (Bob) Lewis, whose horses regularly ran at Santa Anita, and who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Silver Charm in 1997, the Lewis offers 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher and one to the fourth. It was first run in 1935 as the Santa Catalina Stakes.

“Wipe the Slate is doing super but I'm not sure where he's going to blend in after that win,” O'Neill said. “It's been two weeks so we really haven't pointed him to the next spot.

“Team Merchants had a little injury so he's at the farm until he's 100 percent,” O'Neill added, alluding to principal owner J. Paul Reddam's Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsall. Reddam Racing owned a pair of O'Neill-trained Kentucky Derby winners, I'll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016).   O'Neill and Reddam also teamed up to win the Lewis with Great Hunter in 2007 and I'll Have Another in 2012.

Not surprisingly, O'Neill had 32 starters through the meet's first nine days, six more than any other trainer. He was first in that category at Del Mar and generally is leader of the pack in Southern California.

“We're just enjoying every day and hoping for even better days ahead,” O'Neill said. “We're optimistic. I don't know how smart it is (having the most starters), but you can't make any money sitting horses in the barns, so if they're doing well, we'll let 'em compete.”

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