The Lead:
Remington Park's signature race, the Grade 3 $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, highlights a special Sunday addition to the local weekly schedule. The mile and one-eighth test will be the 10th and final race on a card that includes eight stakes races, strongly supported by the Remington Park Oaks. Twilight first post will be 4:03 pm ET / 3:03 pm CT.

Horsesplayers at Xpressbet and 1/ST BET can take advantage of up to a $10 money-back special on all Remington Park races Sunday if your win bet finishes second or third.

​Field Depth:
Grade 3 winners here include HIT SHOW, RED ROUTE ONE (pictured above) and RAISE CAIN, all of which are alumni of the 2023 Triple Crown series. Grade 3-placed entrants in the field of 13 include CAGLIOSTRO, WEST COAST COWBOY and GROVELAND. The entries include the 1-2 West Virginia Derby finishers, the 1-3 Iowa Derby finishers, the Ellis Park Derby winner and the 2-3 finishers of the Indiana Derby among the summer Derby series nationwide.

Pace:
Rail-drawn GHOST HERO should challenge the front with HEROIC MOVE. Don't expect TUMBARUMBA and GROVELAND to be far off the pace, one that looks moderate for this distance and class.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

1-GHOST HERO: Oklahoma-bred dual stakes winner locally nearly wired the Texas Derby at Lone Star, but will be stretched another sixteenth of a mile against a tougher field this time. Will take them as far as he can.

2-TUMBARUMBA: Won the Ellis Park Derby at a mile last out, but hasn't won a true, two-turn dirt route in his career. HIs four wins in nine starts include a combined margin of less than 1-1/4 lengths. He'll fight for it if he's in the mix; that's for sure. Pedigree suggests the extra distance may be a benefit and he's nicely drawn.

3-RAISE CAIN: Rallying 23-1 upsetter of the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct has lost 5 straight since, but has been facing elite company and has had some in-race excuses. May need a bit faster pace to unravel than he'll get here, but he's solid and respected.

4-CAGLIOSTRO: Rising trainer Cherie DeVaux has seen this Louisiana Derby eighth-place finisher continue to improve since trying the spring's big boys in the division. Moving the right way with a third in the Indiana Derby and second in the Smarty Jones at Parx. Wisely, and well-placed in this spot. Colt travels well based on consistent efforts regardless of venue.

5-HEROIC MOVE: The Robertino Diodoro barn has a history of bringing western Canadian sophomores to Oklahoma for its Derby, including 2013 winner Broadway Empire. But before his Canadian forays, this one was a competitive allowance runner at Oaklawn and Churchill Downs, so this is not a wild step up in class. But he's 1-for-7 and has lost margin in the stretch in 5 of those efforts.

6-GUNFLASH: Three-time sprint winner has yet to win in six races around two turns. Tough spot to envision this Karl Broberg trainee successfully leading the 9 furlongs.

7-WEST COAST COWBOY: Cross-entered in Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby and expected to compete at Parx.

8-PEARL'S EARL: Maiden is 0-for-7 and terribly overmatched even from his home stall.

9-HOW DID HE DO THAT: Remington Park and North America's all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen has this one and Red Route One in Sunday's Oklahoma Derby, hoping to add a second such trophy. He won this with Untrapped in 2017. This 48-1 dead-heat upset winner of the Iowa Derby has been inconsistent throughout his 13-race career.

10-RED ROUTE ONE: The more renowned of the Asmussen entrants, this deep closer rolled to a 3-length West Virginia Derby victory in August over this same trip and class level. Disregard his last on turf at Kentucky Downs. The pace will need to have some pep for him to excel late and the projection here isn't for anything sweltering to assist. Pairs perfectly with elite finishing jockey Joel Rosario, however, who won with him in stakes company at Oaklawn this spring.

11-GROVELAND: Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who also sired 2020 Oklahoma Derby winner Shared Sense. The famed Godolphin blue will be represented by this Sam F. Davis runner-up and more recent West Virginia Derby fifth-place finisher. Trainer Eoin Harty adds blinkers for the first time looking for a wake-up call.

12-MOR LANA SPIRIT: Locally based colt broke his maiden here last September and since has added allowance wins in Texas. Trainer Kari Craddock's had success here in stakes over the years, but this would be her biggest win on the docket.

13-HIT SHOW: Trainer Brad Cox has won the Oklahoma Derby 3 of the last 4 years and was third a year ago with even-money favorite Best Actor. Hit Show has top-5 finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont and has taken on the best in his division, including a fifth-place run in the Jim Dandy to Forte and Saudi Crown. It will be interesting to see how the latter fares in Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby at Parx for yet another line on this one's class. He's been a bit closer to the pace in recent starts and it's curious that he adds blinkers while changing to elite rider Flavien Prat for the first time. The wide draw, expected shorter price and pace questions make him a vulnerable consideration.

Most Certain Exotics Contender:
RED ROUTE ONE is 6 of his last 7 in the superfecta in dirt races shorter than the Belmont Stakes. He will make a run and be passing horses.

Best Longshot Exotics Contender:
HEROIC MOVE at 20-1 morning line for high-octane Diodoro on a path that's been successfully traveled before has some appeal.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$80 win TUMBARUMBA. $5 exacta key-box TUMBARUMBA with CAGLIOSTRO, HEROIC MOVE ($20).