ATB’S IN WEEKEND STAKES
There are Accredited Texas-bred horses competing in five stakes races at Remington Park this weekend, headed by the $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby for 3-year-olds going a mile and an eighth. J. R. Caldwell will saddle 9/5 favorite Texas Chrome (Grasshopper – Margarita Mistress), who is looking for his third straight stakes win and second straight derby after taking the  $100,000 Super Derby Prelude on August 6th and the $400,000 Grade 3 Super Derby on September 10th at Louisiana Downs.

In six 2016 starts, Texas Chrome has yet to post anything less than a third-place finish. He was third in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. in April. After romping by 10-1/2 lengths in the Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas in May, Texas Chrome finished a solid third in the Grade 3, $100,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in June. That race propelled him to a second-place run in the Grade 3, $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows and then his wins at Louisiana Downs in the $100,000 Prelude Stakes and Super Derby.

Texas Chrome is the top earner in the Oklahoma Derby with $602,462 accumulated over 12 career starts. He also has the most wins of any of the derby entrants with seven, including three this year.

Bred by Craig Upham and owned by Keene Thoroughbreds LLC, Texas Chrome will be ridden by Remington Park’s leading jockey C.J. McMahon.

Charlie Smith and Terry Propps’ homebred stakes winner Spider’s Alibi (Lookin at Lucky – Miss Missile) is ready to run in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.  The 4-year-old colt runs for Propps and is trained by Smith.  He is looking to add to his bankroll of nearly $102,000.

Two former divisional Texas Champions are part of a small field of five in the $150,000 David M. Vance Sprint Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs.  David L. Davis’ homebred A M Milky Way (Elusive Bluff – Actress E) will be saddled by Karl Broberg.  A multiple stakes winner with over $238,000 in earnings, A M Milky Way was named 2015 Texas Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding.  The other Texas-bred in the race is graded stakes-placed Ivan Fallunovalot (Valid Expectations – Flashdance Missy), who was honored as 2015 Texas Horse of the Year.  Bred by Eileen Hartis and owned by Lewis Mathews Jr., the 6-year-old gelding is trained by W. T. Howard.  He boasts a record of 22-13-3-1 with $560,808 in earnings and is the 4/5 morning line favorite.

Stakes-placed Overland Park (Snow Ridge – Bonnie’s Slam) is running in the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth on the turf.  Bred by Joe K. Davis, the 4-year-old gelding is trained by Joyce Salisbury and is owned by Donna Eaton.

Texas Belle (Angliana – Inthemiddleofitall) is in the field of six in the $75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles.  Mindy Willis trains Texas Belle for Richard P. Chandler.  The filly was bred by Eureka Thoroughbred Farm.

NOTES:  Best of luck to Exaggerator in this weekend’s Pennsylvania Derby. The colt’s ownership group includes Texans Ron and Cody Ortowski of Gainesville…Condolences to the family of long-time TTA member Patricia Leonard of San Antonio, who passed away last weekend…There will be a meeting of the TRC Rules Committee on Tuesday, September 27th at noon.  See www.txrc.texas.gov for the agenda…The deadline for advertising in the American Racehorse Stallion Register is coming up on October 10. Get more info at www.americanracehorse.com/stallion-register/.