Battle of Midway expected for Oklahoma Derby

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 third-place 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.

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Colonelsdarktemper, winner of the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby, is due in Wednesday, said trainer Jinks Fires. Colonelsdarktemper 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.