Thunders Rocknroll will be returning to her roots Monday, when she cuts back to a sprint for the $50,000 Wilma Mankiller on opening day at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla. The Wilma Mankiller, for fillies and mares at six furlongs, is a longtime staple on the local stakes schedule. But it is being run much earlier on the calendar as Will Rogers is launching its season nearly two months ahead of last year’s start on March 3. The 28-day meet will again extend into May as the track will race through Kentucky Derby Day. There will be Monday and Tuesday racing most weeks, with Saturday cards on March 28 and Derby Day, May 2. First post is 1:15 p.m. Central. Thunders Rocknroll has primarily been a sprinter during her 30-race career but has made her last three starts around two turns at Remington Park. She is part of a field of seven that includes Oaklawn Park invaders Antique Silver, Rose Palace, Demidanu, and Gray Lightning. The Wilma Mankiller is slotted as the fifth race on an eight-race card that drew 77 entrants for an average of 9.6 runners per race. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Thunders Rocknroll wrapped up a highly productive Remington season on Dec. 20, when she ran second in the $75,000 She’s All In on closing night. The winner of the race, Miss Code West, was subsequently voted horse of the meet for the third year in a row. Thunders Rocknroll’s effort in the 1 1/16-mile stakes followed a third-place finish in a turf allowance route and a win in a two-turn, main-track allowance. In preparation for both her first start at Will Rogers and the cut back to one turn, Thunders Rocknroll worked a half-mile over the local strip in 49.40 seconds on Jan. 5. She’s won the last three times she has sprinted – the success coming during a three-race streak capped by a victory in the $50,000 Minnesota Distaff Sprint on Sept. 6 at Canterbury Park. Thunders Rocknroll, now 6, is a 10-time winner. She has shown speed in her races, whether sprinting or routing, and figures to again be prominent when she breaks from the rail under David Cabrera. The daughter of Maclean’s Music races for her breeder, Bob Lindgren, and is trained by Patrick Swan. Gray Lightning also could be prominent from post 6. She ran in last year’s Wilma Mankiller and set the pace before finishing third when the race was held in April. A quick pace could set the table for closer Demidanu, who was supplemented to the Wilma Mankiller. Demidanu finished second in the Iowa Classics Distaff Sprint in September at Prairie Meadows before finishing a troubled sixth last out in a second-level allowance at Oaklawn. The Wilma Mankiller is the first of seven stakes on a schedule that includes the $50,000 Highland Ice on Jan. 19 and the $50,000 Welder on March 10. The $50,000 More Than Even is April 21. There were a few different reasons for the change in start date.  :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  "The intent behind the earlier start was to allow horsemen to seamlessly continue racing without relocating to another circuit," Will Rogers Downs said in a statement to Daily Racing Form. "We’re coming off of Remington Park’s December finish and no January racing at Oaklawn, so kicking off the season with the Wilma Mankiller and Highland Ice Stakes will allow trainers to keep their horses in condition. It also alleviates potential weather delays and issues we see a lot in the later spring months with storm season. Additionally, this calendar fits into a slower time which affords us more FanDuel coverage."  Purses are projected to average  $143,000 a card. ◗ The nine-race card Tuesday at Will Rogers drew 80 entrants, for a field-size average of 8.9 horses. The first race is a $25,000 maiden special weight sprint for 3-year-olds and up that drew Miss Code. She is a full sister to 11-time stakes winner Miss Code West, who has earned more than $600,000. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.