Soul Kisser takes it down a notch

Four of the five winners of time trials for the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby on April 5 ran quick enough to qualify for the $268,700 final, which was held Saturday.

Soul Kisser was the only trial race winner who did not earn a berth, finishing 400 yards in 20.22 seconds. The 10th fastest qualifying time was 20.15.

Trainer Manuel Rodriguez did not have to wait long for another opportunity for Soul Kisser, a gelding owned by MRB Racing. Soul Kisser will start from the rail in Thursday’s fifth race at Remington Park, an allowance race at 350 yards for statebreds.

The allowance race is part of a 10-race program that begins at 7 p.m. Eastern, or 6 p.m. Central. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Soul Kisser, by Kiss My Hocks, was winless in six starts at 2, racing at Remington Park, Ruidoso Downs, and Los Alamitos. This year, Soul Kisser is unbeaten in two starts, having won the very first race of the current Remington Park meeting on March 6, a maiden special weight race at 300 yards.

James Flores, the leading rider at the current Remington Park meeting, was aboard for the two recent wins and retains the mount Thursday.

Soul Kisser is part of a field of nine and will be one of the leading choices.

VF Politics N Chicks, a gelding by Apollitical Jess, was third behind Fernweh in a division of the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby trials, losing by 3 1/2 lengths. Fernweh won Saturday’s final.

Trained by Jason Olmstead, VF Politics N Chicks won a division of the Valley Junction Futurity trials at Prairie Meadows last September, but was scratched from the $219,894 final on veterinarian’s advice.

VF Politics N Chicks won a division of the Ruidoso Futurity trials at 350 yards last May for his first victory in his third start.

The allowance race will be the 3-year-old debut of Peves Eagleetta, one of three fillies in the field. Peves Eagleetta, trained by Clinton Crawford, was a troubled fifth in a division of the Mystery Futurity at Will Rogers Downs last October in her final start of 2019.

Earlier that year, Peves Eagleetta was second by a neck in the $50,300 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge. Peves Eagletta had two wins at the 2019 Remington Park meeting – a maiden special weight race and a division of the Heritage Place Futurity trials.