E J Won the Cup leads a handful of Southern California invaders for the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby that will be run Sunday, Sept. 29, at Remington Park.
The 1 1/8-mile race drew a field of eight, with Indispensable and Canada Gate also coming in from Santa Anita.
The Oklahoma Derby anchors a card of eight stakes worth a total of $1 million. There is a special first post of 3 p.m. Central. The forecast calls for a sunny afternoon in the high 80s and a low of 58 degrees.
Remington stakes coordinator Don Thompson said over the past several years the track has been drawing more and more California-based interest in the Oklahoma Derby.
E J Won the Cup is already proven on the road, as he won the St. Louis Derby by 9 1/4 lengths in his last start Aug. 24. The Beyer Speed Figure of 101 that he earned is the best last-race number in the Oklahoma Derby. Mike Smith has the mount from post 2 for trainer Doug O’Neill.
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Indispensable comes off a runner-up finish to Grade 1 winner Muth in the Shared Belief at Del Mar, while Canada Gate was a two-turn maiden winner at the same track Aug. 22. John Sadler trains both horses and has named Reylu Gutierrez on Indispensable and Armando Ayuso on Canada Gate.
The Oklahoma Derby will go as the final race on a 10-race card with an approximate post time of 7:48 p.m. Central. The field from the rail with riders and Remington's morning-line odds: Indispensable, Gutierrez, 3-1; EJ Won the Cup, Smith, 4-1; Canada Gate, Ayuso, 8-1; Flat Hanby, Floyd Wethey Jr., 15-1; Dimatic, Stewart Elliott, 9-2; Most Wanted, Florent Geroux, 5-2; Mena, David Cabrera, 20-1; and Society Man, Corey Lanerie, 6-1.
Morning-line favorite Most Wanted won the Ellis Park Derby last out to remain perfect in three career starts. He earned a Beyer of 97. Brad Cox, who has won three runnings of the Oklahoma Derby, trains the half-brother to $4.5 million earner Life Is Good.
Society Man is arguably the most accomplished member of the field as a graded winner. He accounted for the Grade 3 Matt Winn in June at Churchill Downs. From there, Society Man was third in the West Virginia Derby.
Dimatic, the runner-up in the West Virginia Derby, is looking for his first stakes win after some close calls. Earlier this year, he was second in the Texas Derby won by E J Won the Cup. Steve Asmussen trains Dimatic.
Flat Hanby is a three-time stakes winner who earlier this year won the Canterbury Park Derby.
The $200,000 Remington Park Oaks field of nine from the rail is: Chi Chi, Candy Gray, Teresa's Nightmare, Lemonesse, Change It Up, Just Be Quiet, Miss Code West, Wonder Ride and Alpine Princess.
The stakes winner Alpine Princess is making her first start since running third in the Bourbonette Oaks in March at Turfway, while the Grade 1-placed Wonder Ride is coming off a runner-up finish in the Cathryn Sophia at Parx Racing.
Miss Code West was the horse of the meet last year at Remington for winning all four of her starts, while Lemonesse is 3 for 3.
*** Unload moves to turf for the $75,000 Remington Green following his win in the opening night Governor’s Cup.
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