Sea Foam gets tougher test in Oklahoma Derby

Sea Foam will be stepping outside of the New York-bred ranks Sunday when he attempts to win his third straight stakes race in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

“It’s much tougher, this race, but now is the right time to step him up,” trainer Christophe Clement said.

Sea Foam is coming off wins in the $158,000 New York Derby on July 21 at Finger Lakes and the $250,000 Albany on Aug. 24 at Saratoga. Earlier in his career, he won the $100,000 Notebook against New York-breds at Aqueduct.

“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” Clement said. “The colt was bred by longtime owners Waterville Lake Stables, who usually keep their fillies and sell their colts. He’s won three stakes and seems to be improving all the time.”

Clement said Florent Geroux would have the mount in the Oklahoma Derby.

Sea Foam is a son of Medaglia d’Oro based at Belmont Park. He’s compiled a 4-for-9 record while racing mostly against New York-breds and has earned $373,570 to date. Clement said the horse was scheduled to fly out of Baltimore on Friday.

Sea Foam will be Clement’s first starter at Remington Park.

“There’s not that many 3-year-old restricted stakes on the dirt in the East right now,” he said of the ship to Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Derby anchors a program that will feature 10 stakes, including the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. The card is the richest of the meet, and it will have a special post time of 3 p.m. Central.

Remington plans to have a late pick four with a minimum guaranteed pool of $100,000, track spokesman Dale Day said. He said the all-stakes sequence and will run on the final four races of the 12-race program Sunday.

◗ Heritage Place in Oklahoma City has cataloged 117 horses to its annual mixed Thoroughbred sale on Oct. 7. The auction will start at 1 p.m. Central. Heritage Place will feature both breeding stock and horses of racing age.