Willy Beamin Arrives for Oklahoma Derby

Willy Beamin, who has won his last six starts including the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga, was one of four horses who flew into Oklahoma City just after noon Monday to be part of the field for the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race will be run Sunday at Remington Park.

Willy Beamin was joined on the flight by Speightscity, the pacesetter in last month’s Grade 1 Travers for trainer Gary Contessa; Daddy Nose Best, the Grade 3 Sunland Derby winner who has been working at Saratoga for trainer Steve Asmussen; and Politicallycorrect, who was runner-up in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in July. Wesley Ward trains Politicallycorrect for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the same team that combined to win the 2010 Oklahoma Derby with Pleasant Prince. Monday’s flight into Oklahoma City originated in New York and stopped in Kentucky.

A flight from Southern California was due to arrive Tuesday, bringing Called to Serve, said Don Thompson, the stakes coordinator for Remington. The horse, who is trained by Peter Eurton, was third in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby in his most recent start Aug. 4. Called to Serve on Sunday worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 seconds at Betfair Hollywood Park.