The only stop on the Derby in the state of Oklahoma is the last race of the year there. Remington Park will host the $300K Remington Springboard Mile, which is the last race of the season there. Coal Battle and Speed King ran in this race last year and they combined to win three of the four Derby Points races at Oaklawn earlier in 2025. Like last year, there’s a 12 horse field entered in this race. This group is headed by Spice Runner, who already has 11 Derby Points in the bank after a win in the Iroquois in September and a 5th place finish in the Breeders’ Futurity in October.
Remington Park Race 12: The $300K Remington Springboard Mile (Post Time: 10:26 PM CST)
21 Total Derby points (10/5/3/2/1)
1 – Arctic Beast (4-1 ML): In my write-up for the Gun Runner, I mentioned that Mike Maker has a pair of Yaupon colts running in both Derby Points races today. This colt is a New York bred who is a perfect 3-3 in state bred sprint races in New York. He broke his maiden in August at the Spa and he went on to win both the Aspirant and the New York Bred Futurity at Finger Lakes. I detailed the successes that horses sired by Yaupon have had in 2025. He’s had horses make 173 starts thus far in 2025, and 39 of them have found the Winner’s Circle (23%). His runners have won 10 stakes races thus far with 31 starters (32%). Maker has four horses, including this one that are responsible for 6 of the stakes wins. Yaupon was a Grade 1 winning sprinter, so it’s no surprise that his runners have had the most success in dirt sprints thus far, scoring 26% of the time. He has only had seven starters at two turns on dirt or synthetic up to this point, and two of them have been winners. He’s the first foal to race from the multiple stakes winning New York bred, Frostie Anne. She was a winner in races up to nine furlongs, so there is added stamina from that side of the family. I think this horse will take some money in this spot, especially if Crown the Buckeye runs a big race earlier in the day at the Fair Grounds. I imagine Ricardo Santana Jr. will be sending him from the rail in his first try at two turns. While he certainly could win this race, I don’t think there’s going to be great value on him. I’m going to look elsewhere.
2 – Time For Music (9-2 ML): Steve Asmussen has a trio of runners in this race, starting with this Not This Time colt. The dam has foaled four horses and all four have found the Winner’s Circle at least one. He broke his maiden in a seven furlong test at Keeneland at the end of their fall meet. He came back in a N1X allowance race on the second Stars of Tomorrow card at Churchill last month, finishing a decent second as he stretched out to the mile for the first time. That race was contested at one turn, so while he’s traveling the same distance on the racetrack, this will be his first true two-turn test. He cost his connections $750K last year and they’ve been patient as Asmussen has gradually stretched him out. He is trending up and his son, Erik Asmussen, is having a great meet, winning with 27% of his mounts here. Look for him to sit just off the pace, which might allow him to get first run on some of the closers. He’s interesting to me in this spot.
3 – Essential Time (6-1 ML): While another freshman sire, Essential Quality, hasn’t had the same amount of success as Yaupon has had yet, I think his runners are going to continue to improve at longer distances. His horses have won 15% of their races overall and 14% in dirt routes. This gelding broke his maiden in the Clever Trevor Stakes here in September when going 6 ½ furlongs. He tried a two turn allowance race on the turf in his last start and while that effort wasn’t bad, I think two turn races on the dirt are going to be where he does his best work. With the large field he’s facing here, he’s going to have to avoid getting shuffled back and getting stuck behind horses. However, I do think he’ll benefit from that last race, and I think he has a shot with this group.
4 – Royalamerican (12-1 ML): This gelded son of Upstart is one of two Oklahoma breds trying to take home the biggest pot of the meet for two year olds. He’s proven that he’s at the top of the class of state bred two year olds here, but he’ll venture into open company for the first time in his 5th career start. I liked the progression of races, pairing his first two Beyers, and then his last two. This indicates to me that he could be sitting on a bigger effort. Upstart is an underrated sire, and he’s produced several talented runners with Zandon likely being one of his best. David Cabrera gave him a great ride last time and he’ll hop on for the 4th time today. He is a potential longshot to keep an eye on.
5 – My Dream Zapper (20-1 ML): This son of Ghostzapper is a rare Arapahoe Park shipper coming to town for this stakes race. He has a pair of wins there and was caught late in the Gold Rush Futurity in his last try. He’ll be stretching out to two turns for the first time, but going from sprints to routes has not been a good angle for this barn. I think the water is going to be too deep for him here.
6 – Supreme Good (8-1 ML): Ken McPeek hasn’t had a starter here all meet long, but he has a few horses making the trip to Oklahoma tonight, including this son of Supremacy. Supremacy never won a race beyond six furlongs on the turf overseas and the dam was winless in four career starts. He’s bred for the turf, but he ran a decent race in a one turn mile in the mud at Belmont at the Big A in an optional maiden claiming race. Christopher Elliott is making the trip from New York to ride him for the first time, but I think others are more interesting in this race.
7 – Spice Runner (3-1 ML): The morning line favorite in this wide open race is the only graded stakes winner in this field. This son of Gun Runner was the first horse to earn points to the 2026 Derby when he won the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill in September. He came back in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity where he was no match for Ted Noffey. He was flat once again when he finished last behind Further Ado in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill last month. Perhaps a strong effort from Very Connected, the 4th place finisher in that race, earlier in the day in the Gun Runner Stakes at the Fair Grounds, would be flattering to him. Since the Beyer Figure from that race came back so light, these two races could give a little perspective of the relative strength or lack thereof for that race. He gets the needed class relief here, but I’m not sure he’s any better than he was back in the fall.
8 – Way Beyond (12-1 ML): The third of three Asmussen runners broke his maiden in a $150K maiden claiming race at Churchill when making his third career start, which was also his try on the dirt. Oscar’s Hope had his number in both an allowance race two back and in his most recent try in the Jean Laffite Futurity at Delta. His step forward in that race could have been correlated to having raceday Lasix for the first time. He won’t have that option here tonight.
9 – Western Man (20-1 ML): The other Oklahoma bred gelding in this field made a favorable impression when dominating a state bred maiden allowance field here last month. He was a beat slow when breaking from the gate, but he had no trouble disposing of six completely overmatched rivals. This is a big step up in class for his second start and his first start at two turns. I prefer others in this spot.
10 – Big Apple Patrick (15-1 ML): Daniel Leitch sends out this son of Union Rags who has started twice at Churchill this past fall. He caught sloppy and sealed courses for both of those races. He was a winner at seven furlongs on debut, pulling off the 19-1 upset. I do believe that a horse has some quality when they’re able to win at first asking when going seven furlongs, especially when facing some other horses with raceday experience. He came back in a starter allowance race where he set a moderate tempo over the sloppy course, before fading to third. He should get a fast course for the first time in his career and I think the two turn experience will help his cause. He’s the first foal to race from an unraced Lemon Drop Kid mare. The grand dam is Empire Maker, so there is plenty of stamina with three Belmont winners in his recent bloodlines. He proved in his debut that he doesn’t need to be on the lead to score. Walter Rodriguez is going to have to try to avoid losing too much ground going into the first turn, but he can navigate that trip, this one has a shot to spring the upset here.
11 – Jets Rio (30-1 ML): Ron Moquett rolls the dice with this recent maiden breaker. He scored in his third career start when going this distance over a sloppy course here. He has improved with each start, but he’d have to take a much bigger step forward to win at this level. I feel like a win for him is a highly unlikely outcome.
12 – Express Kid (20-1 ML): Wade Rarick sends out this son of Bodexpress who had the misfortune of drawing the 12 hole for this final race of the season at Remington. He ran well in his first two starts, but he was no match for Essential Time in the Clever Trevor Stakes here two starts ago. He turned the tables on his foe when competing on the turf in their last start. He has some early speed, but I don’t think he’s going to be good enough to beat this field while going three wide or worse when going into the first turn.
The verdict: 2-10-3
Much like the Gun Runner Stakes earlier in the day at the Fair Grounds, this is a wide open race where there should be plenty of good value on the board. While both short prices, Arctic Beast (#1)and Spice Runner (#7) could easily win this race, I don’t think there’s going to be any value in playing them while competing in a spot where both have some vulnerability. I’ll play Time for Music (#2) on top here, thinking that we’re going to see another forward move in his 5th career start. He’s trying two turns for the first time, so he’ll have to answer that question, but I do like how he’s progressed with each start. He should get a good trip just off the early leaders while leading the second flight. Erik Asmussen has been riding with supreme confidence at this meet and I like his chances to score aboard this son of Not This Time.
Big Apple Patrick (#10) is a live longshot in his third career start. He paired his first two Beyer Speed Figures while competing on sloppy and sealed courses at Churchill. He came from off the pace while winning at seven furlongs on debut in October. He came back a month later to run third after setting the tempo in a 1 1/16 mile starter allowance test. He moves up in class, but I don’t feel the rise in class is as big as it looks on paper. There’s a ton of stamina in his pedigree, so I think he should be finishing better than many of these.
Essential Time (#3) goes back to the dirt after trying the turf when going two turns for the first time, last out. Horses sired by Essential Quality are apt to improve with added distance. His dirt sprint effort two back was good enough to think that he could move forward when getting back on the dirt at two turns today.
We’ll have coverage of every North American Derby Points Race, along with plenty of coverage leading up to the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2nd, 2026. Current futures odds from Circa or Caesars-William Hill will be provided as they are available. Feel free to reach out on Twitter @EricSolomon718.
