Oklahoma Derby – GIII
$400.00 For Three Year Olds
1 1/8 Miles – Dirt
Remington Park – September 27, 2026

It is officially Autumn and we are mere days away from flipping the calendar page over to October yet, believe it or not, there are still some Derbys for three year olds left to run. The Oklahoma Derby will be run this weekend and it has drawn a feel of seven sophomores. The inaugural Oklahoma Derby was run in 2004 for a purse of $150.00 and we have seen seventeen young horses come home as the “Sooner State” champion… if you want to win you better hit the wire sooner than the rest I guess. Couldn’t resist. The raise earned its graded status in 2014 and it has been run as a G3 ever since. That was also the year the race’s purse was increased to $400.00 where it has also remained. A nice pay day awaits one of the following contenders.

1. Bold Intruder (The Sidley Stud/S. Elliott) A well known name for anyone who paid attention to the springs three year old classic races. He was star leading into the Kentucky Derby having been victorious in the G2 Risen Star and the G2 Louisiana Derby. He ran seventh in the Derby but then missed winning the G1 Preakness by a head and the G1 Belmont Stakes by a nose running second in both. His last three starts have been on the grass where he continued his run of second place finishes in two graded races before finishing a disappointing tenth in his last race the G2 Nashville Derby. He moves back to the dirt in what you have to think is his last tuneup before the Breeder’s Cup Classic where he currently stands in fifth place for qualifying. 

2. Hurts (Royalty Stables/R. L. Moore) He was last season’s two year old male champion winning the HRP Award in that category. As such he came into this year with very high expectations. Understandably. He did not disappoint in the Triple Crown prep races winning both the G2 Fountain of Youth and the G1 Arkansas Derby which led to him being the obvious Derby favorite. His come from behind running style was always going to be a challenge in a twenty horse field but he ran a very good third that day. We have seen him in three prestigious G1 races for three year olds since where the best result was a third in the G1 Haskell. Seeks his first win since March in Arkansas and like his Bold Intruder to his inside this is likely a Classic prep race as he is currently sixth to qualify for that race. Smaller field and less traffic can’t hurt.

3. Break On Through (Pennsville Farmgo/A.A. Gallardo) In contrast to the two titans inside of him Break On Through comes into this race with only five races on his resume and no stakes experience of any kind. The Pennsville Farm homebred makes his stakes debut and is asked to go nine furlongs for the first time. He has two wins in his five races with one second and was a two length winner of an allowance race at Ellis Park in his last race. Major class test on tap.

4. Magic Fighter (Maxmillion Farm/Mar Garcia) He became a graded stakes winner in his second career start when he won the G3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. Purchased for $400.00 at the end of last year he has found the winner’s circle one time in seven starts since being led over to his new barn. His best race this season was a second place finish in the G1 Santa Anita Derby. That race was good enough to get him into the gate for the Kentucky Derby where he ran an impressive and promising fourth at 67-1, right behind Hurts. He then duplicated that placing in the G1 Belmont Stakes. We have only seen him one time since then which was a flat fifth in the G3 IND Derby. That was July so he has been given time to regroup.

5. Blaketer (Serenity Stables/G. Corrales) Lightly raced with eight lifetime starts. Despite that he does not lack for experience against top class horses. Although he doesn’t have and wins in graded company he was a close third to Hurts in the G1 Arkansas Derby. He also has Triple Crown experience having run in the G1 Preakness where he finished tenth. That tenth place finish doesn’t enourage but he ran only with a shadow roll that day and has since returned to running with both Lasix and Bute again and has put in three good efforts in sprint races since. He won an allowance at Woodbine in June and then was third in a statebred stakes and a close fourth in the G1 Jerkins Memorial at Saratoga losing by less than a length. He stretches back out in distance and has shown he can be competitive with this group but needs to find another gear to break through.  

6. Apirana (Mb Stables/A. Fresu) Homebred is a multiple stakes winner including the G3 Winn at Churchill Downs in June. He has won three stakes races overall this season and placed second in the G2 Louisiana Derby a length behind Bold Intruder. That effort earned him his place in the G1 Kentucky Derby where he finished a disappointing sixteenth. The Winn was his followup to the Derby and in his two summer efforts since he was seventh in the G3 IND Derby and a close fourth in the G3 WV Derby. He earned his first triple digit SRF speed figure in his last race so he may be finding his best form. 

7. Coach McGuirk (Mo Mentum Farm/R. E. Eramia) He was purchased for $250.00 at the end of last season and he has three wins in eight starts since the sale. Those wins all came in a streak from March to June with the last of those three wins being his first stakes victory in The Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. After his stakes win he was third in the G3 IND Derby earning graded black type and it is notable that he finished ahead of both Magic Fighter and Apirana who he will face today. That is the positive. The concern is that his last two starts were off the board finishes in both the ELP Derby and the Super Derby. Looking for a rebound.

The two on the rail are the obvious choices based on overall resume and back class. With the smaller field I look for Hurts to hit the wire first and will put Bold Intruder in second. Brave stuff, eh? Apirana is my third pick with Magic Fighter fourth. 

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES