Outside post has Autrey wavering

Premier Dance will be favored in Friday night's $75,000 MEC Mile for 2-year-olds at Remington Park - if he runs.

Premier Dance drew post 12 for the race, and as a result his status was fluid as of Wednesday. A winner of stakes in his last three starts, he has long been pointed for his two-turn debut in the MEC.

But it might not happen. His trainer, Cody Autrey, said he is discussing with the horse's owner, Charles Fletcher, whether to scratch Premier Dance. Premier Dance has been training at Remington since Tuesday.

"I don't want to give him a bad experience first time going two turns," Autrey said of Premier Dance's post. "You don't want to get caught six wide in the first turn."

Premier Dance heads a deep field for the MEC, one of four stakes supporting this year's $150,000 Oklahoma Derby. Among his rivals are stakes winners Almost Certain, Brick Crew, and Out Our Way.

In his last three races, Premier Dance has won the $75,000 Middleground at Lone Star, the $50,000 Minstrel at Louisiana Downs, and the $100,000 Lafayette at Evangeline Downs. Autrey has given the mount to Luis Quinonez.

Out Our Way, who last out won the Oklahoma Classics Day Juvenile, will be making his first start for trainer Steve Wren after being purchased by Cedar Lake Stable. He will also be making his two-turn debut Friday.

"He looks to me like he can go a route of ground," said Wren. "I worked him a mile and he finished up good. He relaxed."

Test Boy, trained by Steve Asmussen, moves back to dirt after finishing third on turf last out in the $125,000 Harrah's Juvenile at Louisiana Downs.

The MEC goes as the seventh and is part of an all-stakes pick four on races 6-9.

Favorites draw outside

Dontbotherknocking must defeat a deep field of 12 from post 11 to win his third straight stakes in the $50,000 Remington Green at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The top contenders are Waupaca, Missme, Zee Oh Six, and Wally's Choice.

Dontbotherknocking won the $125,000 DeBartolo Breeders' Cup Memorial at Remington in September and the $125,000 Louisiana Downs Handicap in his last start Oct. 2. Waupaca, who drew post 12, was second to Dontbotherknocking in his last two starts, and hit some traffic at a key point last out in the Louisiana Downs Handicap.

Zee Oh Six has won his last three starts and is a two-time winner of the Green.

Split divisions of Oaks

The $40,000 Remington Park Oaks will be run in two divisions. More than Promised, who has won an allowance and the $75,000 DeBartolo Oaks in her last two starts, tops the first division, which will go as race 6. Among her rivals are The Penguin, who has won her last three starts by 19 lengths, and Thunderdoll, undefeated in three starts.

The second division of the Oaks will go as the eighth. It is part of a special double with the Oklahoma Derby. Among the leading contenders are Where's Bailey, Goodie Good Girl, and D Fine Okie.