Lone Sailor prevails in three-way Oklahoma Derby photo finish

This time, Lone Sailor got a nose in front.

Twelve starts since breaking his maiden, the Tom Amoss trainee — seen throughout the Kentucky Derby trail and the Triple Crown series — got the bob in a three way photo to win Sunday night’s Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

Of course, he was rallying, as the G M B Racing charge is wont to do. Lone Sailor ran on the outside while Believe in Royalty split horses in deep stretch. Diamond King, who set the fractions throughout the 1 1/8-mile race, had the inside position.

It was too close to call at the finish, but soon after Lone Sailor was announced as the winner. James Graham rode the son of Majestic Warrior, who was off at 3-1 in the field of 11.

“I had no idea who of the three of us won when we hit the wire,” Graham said. “But I did know this: I could feel my horse stretching his neck out, so I thought we had a chance.”

It marked the first Oklahoma Derby victory for connections and ends months of frustrating results for a colt they continued to run at the graded stakes level. Entering Sunday, he'd finished second in four of his eight races this year, in addition to third in the Haskell (G1) and a late running eighth in the Kentucky Derby.

A decent pace always helps Lone Sailor. Diamond King, who ran in the Preakness Stakes this year, was pressured with multiple horses to his outside up the back stretch as he licked through fractions of 23.21, 46.94 and 1:11.21.

Off the turn, it was Seafoam still to Diamond King's outside before the former dropped out of contention. Believe in Royalty came running, with Lone Sailor the benefit of a head bob at the wire.