Coal Battle to scratch from Oklahoma Derby
?q=100)
Coal Battle will be scratched from the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday at Remington Park, trainer Lonnie Briley said Thursday. Coal Battle was the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the race, which would have been his first start since a runner-up finish in the Indiana Derby on July 5.
The defection will leave a field of seven for the Oklahoma Derby.
“As much as I hate to say that, it looks like I’m going to scratch him,” Briley said. “I gave him 30 days off, and he’s just not quite ready to run and I don’t want to run him just to say I ran him.”
Briley said he has been pleased with how Coal Battle has worked up to the Oklahoma Derby, but he also noted the horse missed some works because of inclement weather at his base of Ellis Park.
“We had a lot of rain storms,” he said. “I missed a couple works. He’s picked to win and it’s killing me to scratch him because I think he can win, but I don’t want to hurt the horse because he’s not 100 percent for one race.”
Briley said a goal now would be the $300,000 Zia Park Derby on Nov. 25.
“In a couple of weeks, I’ll try to find something and get him ready for the Zia Park Derby,” he said.
Briley said Coal Battle would soon move from Ellis to Keeneland.
Coal Battle is a Grade 2 winner who has earned more than $1.2 million. He races for Robert Norman.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.