How to bet the 2021 Oklahoma Derby

Warrant (outside) just misses to Joe Frazier in a Keeneland allowance on April 3, 2021 (Coady Photography)

September 24th, 2021

Eight sophomores will travel 1 1/8 miles at Remington Park in Sunday’s $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3). The well-matched tilt is the feature of a big day of racing at the Oklahoma City venue with numerous contenders in with a viable chance of winning.

The race has multiple runners who prefer to do their work while on or forcing the pace, and it should set things up nicely for a late runner to take home the top prize. The Brad Cox-trained #3 Warrant (5-2) has a fine turn of foot and gets the nod from this corner.

Warrant has never run a bad race in his career and picked up his biggest win to date with a victory in the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in May. The son of Constitution came off the shelf to register a clear second in the West Virginia Derby (G3) in his latest performance, and I think that he had an ideal prep in advance of Sunday.

The Kentucky-bred chestnut is as steady as they come, and the colt seems primed for a big showing following the swift five-furlong breeze he posted last weekend. Joel Rosario coming in to guide the three-year-old is a major bonus, too.

Warrant takes down the Texas Derby! Plenty of people to thank that help get our home bred boy get home. @DoubleDanHorses @WinStarFarm @DestinHeath @bradcoxracing @JRosarioJockey Constitution 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/nfVVlMnswX
— Gforce (@rgullatt) June 1, 2021

#6 Defeater (12-1) is a lightly raced youngster who has flashed a lot of ability from three career performances to date. Trained by Tom Amoss, the Union Rags colt was runner-up to a fantastic winner at Saratoga off the shelf last time out, and the chestnut stretches out following four fine morning drills in the interim. The Kentucky-bred offers very good exotics value with James Graham in the controls.

the best horse in R8 @fairgroundsnola was not the winner, the 2nd place, Defeater, was humongous in defeat.
— With the Works (@Racingwithbruno) February 13, 2021

The Doug O’Neill-trained #5 Team Merchants (6-1) is a wildcard who could be almost any type in his first try at nine panels. The Nyquist colt has run a few huge races in his lifetime at one turn, and if he handles the added ground, then the homebred will be a factor inside the final furlong.

Arkansas Derby (G1) victor #1 Super Stock (7-2), and #7 Mr. Wireless (3-1), who has bagged both the Indiana Derby (G3) and West Virginia Derby in his last pair of outings, will also make my ticket.