9/26/21
2 RP OK Derby (GIII)
$400.000 3yo 1 1/8m Dirt 122lbs
Can we really get enough Derbys? Out to OK City and RP for the OK Derby, going a mile and an eighth and we get a small field of six for this one. Quite a shock with the $400.000 purse, but… here we are and I’m not getting into it in these pages. So which way do we go today? I think Penalty Shot is about as due a horse as you could ever want to see. A trio of runner-up tries and the Maxmillion Farm owned gelding just looks the one to me. Mb Stables has a pair in this one and I think Evergreen is the best of the duo, and is my second choice. He hasn’t won as much cash as his stable-mate, but I think he’s in better form right now, and gets my selection.
It should be in interesting race and Sunday racing is always fun.
Here’s The Field –
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Dutty John Crow | Night Rider Stables | Geroux F | 122 | 8/1 |
Won the Peter Pan (GIII) back in May for his only ’21 score, but was third last out in the CT Classic (GII) taking on older horses. He was long odds that day and ran a solid race, so maybe he’s coming back to form after the poor showings in the BEL (GI) and Haskell (GI). This is a bit softer, so maybe he upsets the apple cart.
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Smokin Luka | Mb Stables | Bridgmohan S X | 122 | 5/1 |
Won the Rebel (GII) and Sexton Mile (GIII) this year, but his last three have been off-the-board efforts in the OH Derby (GIII) where he was the favorite, the Crosby (GI) facing older horses and the Jerkins Memorial, both of those at a sprinting distance. They move him back to a mile and an eighth, but I have reservations with him at any distance right now.
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Evergreen | Mb Stables | Franco M | 122 | 5/2 |
The second part of the Mb Stables duo and this one has my attention. He’s won half of his eight seasonal starts including the St Louis Derby at FP in his most recent. He was third in the WV Derby prior to that, so he’s bounced back from that horrible run in the BEL Derby (GI). Of course both of those nice races were vs softer, but so is this.
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Catch Speedy | Nakamura Stables | Court J K | 122 | 8/1 |
He’s still looking for his first win of the year and has been wrestling with lighter than this for the most part, although his run in the Withers (GIII) back in Feb was a decent effort. He was third vs ON-bred Alw company last out, so he needs to show something more or it could be another long day.
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Penalty Shot | Maxmillion Farm | Talamo J | 122 | 5/2 |
Shows two wins this season and no pictures since winning the Ruby Stakes (GIII) at TP back in Mar, but he was the runner up in the IND Derby (GIII), the WV Derby (GIII) and the St Louis Derby… is he sitting on a win or what? I think this is a good spot for him to finally get the job done.
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Stiff Peter | Greeko Holdem | Saez G | 122 | 7/2 |
Won the Taylor Derby at ALB in his most recent, and that was score number three for the year. He also won a TX-bred stakes at LS on the grass, and could be the wild card in this one, as he showed good speed in that last out win, coming back to the main track after a pair of turf races. I guess we see today.
COZMAN 5 / 3 Willie’s Green Card 5 /3
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
