Fernweh starts climb back to top in Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby Trials

Fernweh was briefly the nation’s leading 2-year-old Quarter Horse filly last spring, following a win in the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity in June.

Hopes for a summer campaign were dashed when she was diagnosed with a bone chip in a knee. Ten months later, Fernweh will have her 3-year-old debut in a division of the Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby trials on Sunday.

The 10 fastest qualifiers, regardless of finishing positions in the five 400-yard trial races, will earn berths in the $275,000-estimated final on April 18.

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The trials have drawn strong fields. The first division, the day’s fourth race, is led by Mr Jess Jenkins, winner of the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs last September. The All American Futurity is Quarter Horse racing’s richest race.

Fernweh, trained by Blane Wood for Rusty Allred of Graham, Texas, had two 220-yard workouts in March in preparation for a comeback.

“I think she’ll be very competitive,” Allred said Friday morning.

Wood told Allred in early 2019 that Fernweh was showing immense talent. She won a division of the Ruidoso Futurity trials in her debut last May and won the 350-yard final by a head as the odds-on favorite.

“We knew she was special, but we didn’t know how special,” Allred said. “She wants to run.”

Still, Allred said Fernweh has something to prove Sunday.

“Three-year-olds are whole new game,” he said.

Fernweh, who was purchased for $20,000 as a yearling and has earned $424,800, starts in Sunday’s fifth race, the second division of the trials. First post time is 1:30 p.m. Central. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Mr Jess Jenkins, who won the $150,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park in December in his latest start, is a standout in the fourth race as is Fernweh in the fifth race.

Southard Queen, winner of the $219,900 Valley Junction Futurity at Prairie Meadows in October, and Chilitos, second to Mr Jess Jenkins at Zia Park, are the leading runners in the sixth race. Southard Queen was a troubled sixth in his first start this year in a division of the Oklahoma Derby trials on March 8.

Jesse D, third in the $1.07 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park last June, will have his 2020 debut in the seventh race.

In the eighth race, A Tres of Sign, second in the Valley Junction, will have his second start of the year after a troubled third in the Oklahoma Derby trials.