OK Derby, Purse $400.000, Grade 3, One Mile and 1/8th, Dirt for 3 Year Olds
At Remington Park today there are 2 nice stakes races set up for 3 year olds to run in. I have the pleasure of covering both and that first race up for me to look at will pit 3 year old males against each other going a route of ground on the dirt. There are 5 horses that have signed on to take their shot in this race and there will be a new first time graded stakes winner that comes out of the race. Let’s take a look at the field and see if we can separate some of these runners :
1-Endure Luxury (Sanny Village)- He has started 6 times in his life with 2 wins and has only missed the board in 1 of those 6 starts and that was in his first ever lifetime start. He was purchased by current owner Sanny Village for $125.000 off a nice 2 race win streak and he was then stepped right up into a Grade 2 race where he finished a respectable 3rd. That race came on the heels of a 2+ month layoff and he is coming back a bit quicker for this race. There is not public works since that race but based off that effort I feel this is one that has a shot in this race.
2-Planet Java (Whitewater Stables)- He has run 4 times with 1 win and that win came 2 races back in a MSW race going a flat mile at Monmouth Park. Off that win he was stepped up into a statebred mile and a half turf stakes race where he finished 4th of 5 horses. Out of that race he has posted one public work in the morning and it was a solid 111 flat dirt workout. Can getting back to the dirt help this horse make the large step up and take down a graded stakes win for his 2nd lifetime win?
3-Solar Flash (Blushing Meadows)- He has started 12 times in his career with 3 lifetime wins. 2 of those 3 lifetime wins have come in his last 4 races and under the current owner Blushing Meadows. Both of those wins have come on the dirt and in allowance races with the most recent win coming going a flat mile in his last race. He posted one public work in the morning after that win and it was a 112 an 3 track breeze which couldn’t have made owner Blushing Meadows happy unless he was testing something new. Can this horses good recent form help him make the step up to be a graded stakes winner?
4-Captin General (Jerry Garcia Racing)- He comes into the race running 8 times while winning 3 of those races which includes a win in an overnight stake 3 races back. He was stepped up off that win and tried back to back large races at Saratoga. He finished a nice 3rd in the Jim Dandy but then followed it up with a disappointing 11th in the Travers. He does appear to have come out of the Travers well and has posted some very solid work times both on turf and on dirt. Those works lead me to believe that the Travers was just a bad race and he has to be one to look at in this race.
5-Mass Debatable (Maverick racing) He has raced 11 times in his career with 4 of those being wins. His most recent win came in his last race in an OC race, but he has been in great form as of late winning 3 of his last 4 races including an overnight stakes race 3 back. The only bad race during that 4 race sequence was his effort in the LA Derby where he finished 9th but that was in a nice Grade 2 races. He has not posted any public works since his last win so I am not able to tell how he came out of the race. He does warrant serious consideration here though because of the nice run of form he has been on.
Today there is a going to be a new first time graded stakes winner that comes out of this race. I feel that the results could go in a number of different directions but here is my prediction: 1-4-3-5
Warbucks
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
