Oscar Nominated Heads Tropical Park Derby Field

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Oscar Nominated is set to finish off a productive 2016 campaign Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park with a start in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-olds.

The Michael Maker-trained ridgling amassed nearly $600,000 during a sophomore campaign that included three stakes triumphs, as well as a start in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

"He's training well, as always," Maker said. "He shows up every time and I don't expect anything different Saturday."

The homebred son of Kitten's Joy   captured the Black Gold Stakes over the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots turf course in February before earning a berth in the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Spiral Stakes (gr. III) over Turfway Park's synthetic surface in March.

Never a factor in the Run for the Roses, Oscar Nominated was returned to turf for the rest of his 3-year-old season.

After experiencing a rough trip in a tight second-place finish in the American Derby (gr. IIIT) and forced to check before finishing fifth in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse, Oscar Nominated romped to a 6 1/4-length victory in the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs in September.

He ran into trouble again in the Twilight Derby (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park, where he was stuck in traffic and finished fourth, less than a length behind the winner and two heads away from being runner-up.

"I think it cost him the race—100%," Maker said.

Oscar Nominated is scheduled to be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Two Step Time.

Get Away Farm's Two Step Time finished a close fourth behind Oscar Nominated in the Spiral and comes off a photo-finish loss in the Showing Up Stakes at Gulfstream Park West.

Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable's Inspector Lynley earned his lone graded stakes win in the Saranac (gr. IIIT) at Saratoga Race Course. The Shug McGaughey-trained colt ran back to finish fifth behind Saranac runner-up Camelot Kitten following a wide trip in the Oct. 8 Hill Prince Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park.

"I don't think he ran that bad. He didn't get beat that far. Things just didn't go his way. The turf may have had more give than he wanted," McGaughey said. "He's been freshened up now, so we'll see what happens Saturday. I think his future is in front of him."

Stronach Stables' Berliner is also scheduled for a rebound after finishing seventh in the Hill Prince, a quarter-length behind Inspector Lynley. The son of Bernardini   won three in a row at Woodbine prior to that start and after being transferred to trainer Nick Gonzalez.

Robert Baker and William Mack's Giant Run will seek to rebound from a troubled off-the-board finish over a soft Belmont turf course in the English Channel Stakes. The Tom Albertrani-trained son of Giant's Causeway   has a 2016 record of 4-2-1 out of nine starts.

J R's Holiday, who won the Kitten's Joy Stakes last season at Gulfstream, is set to make a return from a six-month layoff in the Tropical Park Derby. Trained by Jose Garoffalo-trained for J R's Racing, the son of Harlan's Holiday finished second in the Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland in the spring. 

Scheduled as the last race of the day at Gulfstream, the Tropical Park Oaks will feature Allen Stable and Peter M. Brant's French import Azaelia, who seeks to build on her first U.S. victory when she takes on 13 other 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Michael Maker-trained Try Your Luck also has a strong stakes resume, which includes a 7 1/2-length triumph in the $200,000 Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs in her last start.