Departing Seeks Fourth Derby Win in Oklahoma
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Six stakes races on the Sept. 29 Remington Park card are led by featured the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (gr. III) and the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. Departing, a three-time derby winner and earner of more than $1.3 million, drew the outside post for the Derby, while the Marathon Lady seeks her first stakes victory in the Oaks.
Coming into the race off back-to-back scores in the Sept. 7 Super Derby (gr. II) and the Aug. 3 West Virginia Derby (gr. II), a victory by Departing in Remington's Oklahoma Derby would make four graded stakes wins for owners Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider. Departing also captured the Illinois Derby in April.
Favored at 6-5 on the morning line, Al Stall trainee Departing faces a field of seven rivals for the 1 1/8-mile test. Robby Albarado rode Departing for his West Virginia and Super Derby triumphs, and will keep the mount for the Oklahoma Derby.
The only other graded stakes winner in the field is Broadway Empire, who enters off a three-length score in the Canadian Derby (gr. III) at Northlands Park Aug. 17. Out of the money only once in five starts, the Empire Maker gelding is 4-1 on the morning line. Owned by the Alberta partnership of Randy Howg, Bob Butz, Fouad El Kardy, and Rick Running Rabbit, Broadway Empire is stabled in the Remington Park stakes barn and has had nearly a week to acclimate to his surroundings.
Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Broadway Empire will be ridden by his Canadian Derby partner, Rico Walcott, as he breaks from post 5.
Cameo Appearance, who ran third to Departing in the Super Derby, is 9-2 on the morning line. Wayne Catalano trains the Majestic Warrior colt for owners Gary and Mary West. Remington Park-based jockey Luis Quinonez has the call on Cameo Appearance who will break from the 7-hole.
The Hall's Family Trust starts a coupled entry of homebred stakes winners in Too Much Bling sons Texas Bling and He Has Bling.
Texas Bling, the 128-1 upset winner of the 2012 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, will try to become just the third horse to win the Springboard and the Oklahoma Derby in consecutive years and comes into the race off a five-month layup.
He Has Bling last saw the winners circle three starts back in the May 11 restricted Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park. The entry is 10-1 on the morning line.
Stakes winner Holiday Mischief and graded stakes-placed allowance winners Braveman and Carve complete the Derby field.
In the Remington Park Oaks Steve Hobby-trained Marathon Lady will try to break through to the winner's circle after five consecutive graded stakes placings. In her last two starts the Graeme Hall filly finished third behind Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Princess of Sylmar in the the July 2 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, and the third to recent Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) winner Close Hatches in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park June 22.
Robby Albarado will ride Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Marathon Lady, who will break from post 2 carrying 116 pounds.
Coteau Grove Farms' Touch Magic has finished off the board only once in eight starts and comes to the Oaks off a 6 3/4-length allowance victory. Winner of the Jan. 19 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and runner-up in last year's Delta Downs Princess Stakes (gr. III), the Patrick Devereux trainee will break from the 6 hole carrying 120 pounds including jockey Diego Saenz.
Two starts back Montana Native scored a 3 1/2 -length victory over a fast Saratoga track in the July 24 Broom Dance Stakes for trainer Kenny McPeek and owner Ghostzapper Racing. Before that she scored in a Churchill Downs allowance at the Remington Oaks distance. The Yes It's True filly will break from the inside rail carrying 120 pounds with Terry Thompson in the boot.
Stakes winners Sister Ginger and Legal Mind and allowance winners Gold Medal Dancer and Satin Gold (who is three time stakes-placed) complete the field.
$400,000 Oklahoma Derby (gr. III, Race 9, approximate post time 5:14 p.m.) 3YOs, 1 1/8 miles (dirt)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, ML Odds
1. a-Texas Bling (TX), F A Arguello Jr., D Durham, 10-1
2. Carve (KY), R Santana Jr., S M Asmussen, 8-1
3. Braveman (KY), T J Thompson, R J Anderson, 10-1
4. a-He Has Bling (TX), B Quinonez, D Durham, 10-1
5. Broadway Empire (KY), R W Walcott, R Diodoro, 4-1
6. Holiday Mischief (KY), M C Berry, J S Offolter, 12-1
7. Cameo Appearance (KY), L S Quinonez, W M Catalano, 9-2
8. Departing (KY), R Albarado, A M Stall Jr., 6-5
All will carry 124 pounds.
a-coupled entry
Blinkers On: Carve
$200,000 Remington Park Oaks (Race 6, approximate post time 3:50 p.m.) 3YO fillies, 1 1/16 miles (dirt)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Montana Native (KY), T J Thompson, 120, K G McPeek
2. Marathon Lady (FL), R Albarado, 116, S Hobby
3. Satin Gold (KY), G Murphy, 116, D P Smith
4. Gold Medal Dancer (KY), L S Quinonez, 118, D K Von Hemel
5. Legal Mind (IL), L Wade, 118, J A Bruner
6. Touch Magic (KY), D Saenz, 120, P Devereux Jr.
7. Sister Ginger (KY), R Santana, Jr., 120, S M Asmussen