Oklahoma Derby field takes shape; Asmussen will start 2

The Oklahoma Derby on Sunday, Sept. 28, is gaining clarity as time draws near for the Grade 3, $400,000 race for 3-year-olds at Remington Park.

North America’s all-time winning trainer, Steve Asmussen, has confirmed two of his three nominees, Iron Dome and Publisher. Publisher might be the most intriguing of the pair as the most talked-about maiden in the country. The Kentucky-bred colt by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, out of the Proud Citizen mare Indian Pride, is 0-for-9 in his career, but he has earned $425,396, more money than a lot of stakes winners.

At first glance, one might say a maiden has no shot to win the Oklahoma Derby, but you might want to take a second look. Not many of the nominees have the resume that Publisher does. He was the second-place finisher in this year’s Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn in March. That gave Publisher enough points to step into the gate for the Kentucky Derby in May. He broke from the 11-post position and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., found himself being bounced around like a pinball. It was enough to get Publisher off his game and finish 14th in a field of 19. He was sent off at 33-1 odds.

In Publisher’s last race, hall of fame jockey Mike Smith took the mount on this horse for the Indiana Derby (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 5 and as luck would have it, Publisher found himself in difficult circumstances again. Smith tried to come up the rail and was blocked most of the way. Publisher still ran fourth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths.

Publisher has run against maidens four times and finished third, third, third and second.

The pride of Remington Park, Coal Battle, ran second in the Indiana Derby, losing by a half-length. If trainer Lonnie Briley brings the Springboard Mile winner to Remington Park, he would be the third horse to sweep that cornerstone 2-year-old race and double up in the Oklahoma Derby. Coal Battle, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Coal Front, from the Midshipman mare Wolfblade, would be the top earner in the Oklahoma Derby field if his connections ship him here after an expected workout in Louisiana on Saturday. Coal Battle, who also ran in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 11th, has a lifetime record of 11: 5-1-2 and a bankroll of $1,287,675.

Asmussen’s second horse, Iron Dome, is a stakes winner in his last start in the $200,000 Albany Stakes in upstate New York at Saratoga. He won that race by 6 3/4 lengths. The 3-year-old New York-bred colt by Into Mischief, out of the Speightstown mare Speightful Affair, and is owned by L and N Racing and Chester Broman, Sr. He was bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman.

An interesting fact about Iron Dome is that despite being a stakes winner, he has earned only about half as much money as his stablemate Publisher. Iron Dome has raced seven times, winning three and finishing third twice for $235,711. He would come into the Oklahoma Derby on a three-race win streak. Iron Dome has won those three races by a combined 28 1/4 lengths. All three of the streak wins were against New York-breds.

The current top trainer in the country, Brad Cox, whose horses have earned more than $22 million this year, will be trying to win the Oklahoma Derby for an unprecedented fifth time. Cox is expected to start one of his three nominees. It’s just not clear which one that will be.

All three of Cox’s nominees have begun stellar careers. They are Disco Time, winner of the Lecomte Stakes  (G3) at Fair Grounds; Admiral Dennis, winner of the Delaware Derby; and Instant Replay, winner of the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs and the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in two of last three starts.

Disco Time, would come into the Oklahoma Derby undefeated after three starts. The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Not This Time, out of the Jump Start mare Disco Chick, has earned $291,960 in those three victories.

Cox won the Oklahoma Derby last year with Most Wanted. Prior to that, Cox won the race three years in a row from 2019 to 2021 with Owendale, Shared Sense and Warrant.

Bracket Buster and Take Charge Tom have committed to the Oklahoma Derby. The former, trained by Victoria Oliver, could be an interesting sort, with his last two starts in the Haskell (G1) and Travers (G1). The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Vekoma, from the Dance With Ravens mare Spring Dance, ran second to Kentucky Derby-Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty in the Travers, albeit by 10 lengths. Bracket Buster has a record of 9: 2-2-1 for an impressive $536,318.

Take Charge Tom is a multiple stakes-winning gelding who has won many black-type races, all in either New Mexico or Canada. The 3-year-old by Tom’s d’Etat, out of the Take Charge Indy mare Gorgeous Ginny, has made it to the winner’s circle in six of nine starts, and five of those were stakes victories. Take Charge Tom, trained by Robertino Diodoro, has made $334,724 in his career.

Diodoro won the Oklahoma Derby with Broadway Empire in 2013.

Mister Omaha is another expected for the Oklahoma Derby for local connections Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Okla., and trained by Joe Offolter. Winner of the Don McNeill Stakes against Oklahoma-breds at Remington Park in November, Mister Omaha was fourth in the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 6. He was third prior to that in the Iowa Derby on July 5 at Prairie Meadows, finishing 13 1/2 lengths behind the talented Magnitude, who will start in the Pennsylvania Derby on Saturday.

Mister Omaha is an Oklahoma-bred by Omaha Beach from the Into Mischief mare Cosmic Code. He has a record of 10: 5-1-1 for lifetime earnings of $218,843.

Other horses being considered for the Oklahoma Derby are Macho Music, Fountain Lake, Hot Gunner, Whiskey Shot and Colonel Yorke.