Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Mrs Rocco back on dirt in allowance
The Oklahoma Derby had a working list of seven early probables on Monday, with a handful of leading contenders scheduled to arrive at Remington Park on Wednesday. The Grade 3, $400,000 race will anchor a card of 10 stakes on Sunday.
Battle of Midway, the thirdplace finisher in the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to fly in Wednesday along with fellow Southern California-based probables B Squared and Gato Del Oro, said Don Thompson, stakes coordinator for Remington. Thompson said the horses are arriving at an airport in Fort Worth, Texas, then will van about three hours to Oklahoma City.
B Squared was second to Battle of Midway in the Grade 3 Affirmed in June at Santa Anita. He will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez, said trainer Doug O’Neill. Gato Del Oro was second to Battle of Midway in the $100,000 Shared Belief in August at Del Mar.
Colonels dark temp er, winner of the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby, is due in Wednesday, said trainer Jinks Fires. Colonels dark temp er will be vanning in from his base of Churchill Downs. Fires said Jon Court has the mount Sunday.
Thompson said others he anticipates for the Oklahoma Derby are Girvin, winner of the Haskell Invitational; McCormick, runner-up in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby; and Untrapped, third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby.
Entries for the 1 1/8-mile Oklahoma Derby will be taken on Thursday. First post Sunday is 3 p.m. Central. Total purses for the stakes on the program top $1.3 million in what is the richest card of the meet at Remington.
Also on the card is the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, which is expected to draw champion Champagne Room, said Thompson. She is scheduled to arrive in the region on the same Wednesday flight as Battle of Midway. The $175,000 Governor’s Cup could lure Grade 3 winner Eagle. Other potential starters include millionaire Texas Chrome, Code West, and American Dubai. The $150,000 David M. Vance is the target for Grade 3 winner Ivan Fallunovalot.
Case of mistaken identity
There was a case of mistaken horse identity in the fifth race Saturday night at Remington Park. Collateral Kitten is listed as the official winner of the nonwinners-of-two turf route, but the mare One more fast dance, a four-time winner, actually ran in the race. The Paulick Report first reported the case, citing a tip from One more fast d an ce’ s breeder, John Lowder.
Karl Broberg, who trains both horses, confirmed the mix-up when reached by Daily Racing Form on Sunday.
“It was an absolutely embarrassing mistake,” Broberg said. “All of us are ashamed of it and are working to put protocols in place where something like this can never happen again. I’ve already reached out to the owners and I’m going to make it right with them as well. There really isn’t much more to say… I want to hide from now until the end of time, or when everyone forgets.”
The chart of the fifth race does not yet indicate a disqualification of the winner, who $4. Broberg said the mistake was found in the test barn. The winner’s share of the purse was $8,376.
Kelly Cathey, the executive director of the Oklahoma Racing Commission, said Sunday night that the matter is under investigation.
There are regulatory procedures to prevent the wrong horse from running in a race. Identifiers “flip lips” of horses in the paddock for a race to verify that the animal’s individualized lip tattoo coincides with the number on the foal papers. Following a race, the winner and horses “tagged” by the stewards for any reason proceed to the test barn, where a state veterinarian draws blood. In addition, urine samples are collected for testing. The veterinarian also will check the tattoo and if the sequence does not coincide with the papers, the error is found.
Mr. Misunderstood back home
Mr. Misunderstood, who improved his turf record to 5 for 5 with his win in the $200,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, will be considered for the Commonwealth Stakes, run at his base of Churchill Downs, according to trainer Brad Cox. The Super Derby was run on the turf for the first time.
The Commonwealth, a Grade 3, $100,000 race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the grass, will be run on Nov. 11.
Promising juvenile to Churchill
Rose of Malibu, a sharp debut winner Aug. 31 at Remington, is being pointed for the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes on Oct. 29 at Churchill, said C.R. Trout, who bred, owns and trains the 2-year-old by Malibu Moon.
Trout said he is debating whether Rose of Malibu will run back before that sevenfurlong race, with an option the $75,000 Kip Deville on Sunday at Remington. Rose of Malibu is a half-sister to Shotgun Gulch, a Grade 1 winner at seven furlongs in the Madison at Keeneland in 2011.
◗ The Texas Racing Commission will discuss ways to make up for a budget shortfall during a meeting Wednesday.