Courtesy of the Paulick Report
A stakes-laden 13-race program has been put together for Sunday, Sept. 29 at Remington Park, led by the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. The derby will be the 12th race on the card that starts at 3pm-Central.
Mucho Gusto, expected to arrive via Tex Sutton Equine Charter on Thursday morning at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, has been made the 8-5 morning-line favorite by odds-maker Rick Lee. Mucho Gusto comes into the Oklahoma Derby off a third-place finish, 3-1/2 lengths behind victorious Code Of Honor, in the Grade 1, $1,250,000 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 24.
Trained by National Racing Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Mucho Gusto won both the Grade 3, $100,000 Laz Barrera Stakes and the Grade 3, $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita in California this spring. He then ran second to Maximum Security in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park in New Jersey prior to his Travers effort. Owned by Michael Petersen, Mucho Gusto will be ridden by Joe Talamo.
Owendale, a closing third in the Grade 1, $1,500,000 Preakness Stakes in May at Pimlico, beaten only 1-1/4 lengths by War Of Will, is at 3-1 odds and is the second-choice in the morning line. Tax arrived in Oklahoma City earlier today via a Sutton charter. Owendale drew the outside post in the field of 11 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux for the fifth consecutive race. Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale won the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby in June at Thistledown outside of Cleveland.
Tax, a multiple stakes winner this year after taking the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers at Aqueduct in February and then visiting the winner’s circle in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 27, is the third-choice in the morning line at 4-1 odds. Trained by Danny Gargan, Tax arrived in Oklahoma City earlier today via a Sutton charter. Tax has won $786,300 with three wins from nine attempts. Kendrick Carmouche will have the mount.
Remington Park’s current leading trainer, Steve Asmussen, will have a pair of horses entered as he attempts to win his second Oklahoma Derby. Long Range Toddy, winner of the 2018 Springboard Mile at Remington Park and the runner-up in that race, Bankit, will represent the barn of the National Hall of Fame conditioner. Asmussen saddled the 2017 Oklahoma Derby winner, Untrapped.
Owned and bred by Willis Horton Racing of Marshall, Ark., Long Range Toddy is at 15-1 odds in the morning-line. He won Remington Park’s top 2-year-old races last year in the Springboard Mile and also the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes. This spring at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., Long Range Toddy was second in the $150,000 Smarty Jones; third in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes; and won a division of the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes before finishing sixth in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby.
Long Range Toddy was awarded a 16th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He was then third in the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown followed by a fifth-place run in the Indiana Derby.
Jockey Jon Court, who has ridden Long Range Toddy in his last five attempts, keeps the mount. Long Range Toddy is just the second horse to have started his career at Remington Park, to compete in the Kentucky Derby, joining Suddenbreakingnews in that small club.
Bankit, at 8-1 odds in the morning line, closed from the back of the pack in the 11-horse Springboard Mile here in December. The New York-bred colt by Central Banker launched a furious rally coming off the final turn under Ricardo Santana, Jr. Bankit nearly caught Long Range Toddy in the Springboard, finishing second beaten only a head. Santana has the call on Bankit, owned in partnership by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton.
The complete field for the Oklahoma Derby, by post position and program order, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:
1. Drifting West: Joe Offolter, Luis Quinonez, 50-1
2. View Magic: Bret Calhoun, Iram Diego, 30-1
3. Bankit: Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, 8-1
4. Sleepy Eyes Todd: Miguel Silva, David Cabrera, 20-1
5. Tax: Danny Gargan, Kendrick Carmouche, 4-1
6. Funny Guy: John Terranova, Rajiv Maragh, 10-1
7. Chess Chief: Dallas Stewart, Miguel Mena, 15-1
8. Cairo Cat: Kenneth McPeek, Richard Eramia, 20-1
9. Long Range Toddy: Steve Asmussen, Jon Court, 15-1
10. Mucho Gusto: Bob Baffert, Joe Talamo, 8-5 (morning-line favorite)
11. Owendale: Brad Cox, Florent Geroux, 3-1
There are seven other stakes races on Sunday at Remington Park, including:
Race 3 – $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes, 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs
Race 6 – $150,000 David Vance Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs
Race 7 – $75,000 Ran Ricks Memorial, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/16 miles (Turf)
Race 9 – Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1-1/16 miles
Race 10 – $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs
Race 11 – $100,000 Remington Green Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/8 miles (Turf)
Race 13 – $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial, fillies, 2-year-olds, 6-1/2 furlongs
The Remington Park Thoroughbred Season continues Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 25-29. The first race nightly is at 7 pm. The Oklahoma Derby program on Sunday begins at 3pm. All times are Central.