Oklahoma Derby win Lone Sailor's 'really big step forward'

As they hit the wire three across the track in Sunday night’s Grade 1, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, trainer Tom Amoss figured Lone Sailor had suffered another narrow defeat — and added to a slew of frustratingly close placings since his first win a year ago.

“I watched the slow-mo, and I became a little bit encouraged,” Amoss said. “Then I saw the camera man — the in-house camera — follow him back to be unsaddled. I thought, maybe?

“Obviously, I was delighted when I saw the result.”

Amoss considers Lone Sailor’s nose victory over Believe in Royalty, with Diamond King a head back at the finish as well, “a really big step forward” for a colt who had run second in four of his last seven races entering the Remington Park feature.

“I did not think we had a great trip last night. No one’s fault — it just didn’t work out,” the trainer said. “For him to overcome that, and to run as hard as he did down the lane, I think we’re finally getting to something I’ve been talking about for over a year, which is him getting a better understanding of competition and him understanding racing.”

Amoss has spoken of Lone Sailor’s need for a target to run at, and he certainly received it in the Oklahoma Derby. It took an outside rally from ninth in the field off 11 to win it under jockey James Graham.

Campaigned by G M B Racing, Lone Sailor improved his record to 2-5-2 in 14 career starts. It speaks to the quality of races in which he’s competed — the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational, for example — that the son of Majestic Warrior has banked $873,237 in earnings with only two wins.

“Certainly, we’re looking beyond his 3-year-old year,” Amoss said, with next race plans undetermined.

Until then, the Amoss barn will certainly look ahead to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Amoss reported that Serengeti Empress — a 19 1/2-length winner of Churchill Downs’ Pocahontas Stakes (G2) — “is doing fine” and on target for the Nov. 2 race.