Prayer for Relief seeks another lucrative score in Oklahoma Derby

Prayer for Relief seeks another lucrative score in Oklahoma

Derby

by Vance Hanson

Judging him not up to Breeders' Cup standard, trainer Bob Baffert will

instead send his streaking three-year-old colt Prayer for Relief back on the

road in search of another big paycheck in Sunday's $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at

Remington Park. Contested over 1 1/8 miles, the Oklahoma Derby is the highlight

of the Remington's biggest day of the year, which also includes the $250,000

Remington Park Oaks for fillies at 1 1/16 miles, and the $125,000 Remington

Green Stakes for older horses on the turf.

Though never asked to take on some of the bigger guns of the division this

season, Prayer for Relief has quietly compiled the most consistent record among

his peers. The Zayat Stables colorbearer did not make his seasonal debut until

late May, but that allowance victory at Hollywood has been followed by three

more trips to the winner's circle, all in graded company. Prayer for Relief

picked up his first stakes win in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby by two lengths, and

then prevailed by a half-length in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby. Favored at

6-5 in the Grade 2 Super Derby last time, Prayer for Relief led throughout to

capture the nine-furlong test by 2 1/2 lengths.

Many in the Oklahoma Derby field are no strangers to Prayer for Relief.

Stakes winner Awesome Bet was second in the Super Derby and fifth in the West

Virginia Derby in his last two, while multiple stakes winner Populist Politics

ran third in the Super Derby. Also exiting that Louisiana Downs contest is

Alternation, winner of the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes earlier this season. After

fourth-place finishes in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and the Super Derby,

trainer Donnie Von Hemel will equip Alternation with blinkers for the Oklahoma

Derby.

Malibu Glow and Meistersinger finished farther up the track in the Super

Derby and have form to find. Grade 3-placed Infrattini dropped 20 lengths off

the pace and then rallied to finish within three lengths of Prayer for Relief in

the West Virginia Derby when last seen, while Iowa Derby third-placer

Dreaminofthewin prepped for the Oklahoma Derby with a local allowance score over

6 1/2 furlongs.

Among the new shooters for Prayer for Relief, the most dangerous would appear

to be Redeemed. The lightly-raced colt was runner-up to Caleb's Posse in the

Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes two back, and last time occupied the same position

behind Wilburn in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing. Tony Dutrow takes over

training duties Saturday for his suspended brother, Rick, and Redeemed will race

with blinkers for the first time Saturday.

Making his open company debut in the Oklahoma Derby is Socialsaul, a

consistent player in the New York-bred ranks this summer. After a victory in the

New York Derby at Finger Lakes, Socialsaul finished second in the Albany Stakes

and Noble Nashua Stakes in his last two.

Baffert will also saddle the likely favorite in the Remington Park Oaks in

May Day Rose, whose three stakes wins this year include the Grade 3 Railbird

Stakes and Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes. The field's only other graded winner

this season, Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks heroine Savvy Supreme, represents the Todd

Pletcher juggernaut. Another potential player is Fast Tip, who is two-for-two on

dirt including a strong victory in the Panthers Stakes at Prairie Meadows back

in June.

The Remington Green, at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, looks a lot like the Edward

J. DeBartolo Memorial Handicap, run at Remington on September 2. The top three

finishers from that prep -- Skip a Smile, Dakota Gypsy, and Schramsberg -- are

all back, with Schramsberg the Remington Green's defending champion. Cherokee

Lord, second in the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger Stakes two back, wheels back one week

after retreating from first to last in the final half-mile of the Grade 2

Hawthorne Gold Cup.