Twelve set for Remington Springboard Mile

Dec 10, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

The Road to the Kentucky Derby wends through Oklahoma City on Friday night, as 12 promising juveniles square off in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile. The anchor of a stakes-laden program at Remington Park, the Springboard Mile is worth points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.

Two-time Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning trainer Doug O’Neill sends out Dr Ruben M, last seen breaking his maiden going a mile at Santa Anita Oct. 14. The son of champion Vino Rosso was pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) but ended up not appearing in the final entries. Entered in the Nov. 17 Bob Hope (G3), he was scratched from that Del Mar stakes as well. Regular rider Edwin Maldonado comes in for the ride aboard Dr Ruben M, who figures to be involved in the early pace.

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DR RUBEN M will surely have a lot of local love behind him, being owned by The Del Mar Group and trained by @DougONeill1. The son of Vino Rosso @spendthriftfarm is one of the few in the race with two 2-turn runs. Exists a mile maiden win @santaanitapark. #BC24 pic.twitter.com/BIl0fcM549

— Michael Adolphson (@AdolphsonRacing) October 27, 2024

Also shipping in from a high-profile maiden score is Ron Moquett’s Speed King. The Volatile colt looked sharp when wiring his six-furlong debut at Churchill Downs. Although he faces a distance test here, Speed King hails from the family of such routers as Mor Spirit, Great Hunter, Owendale, and champion filly Stellar Wind.

Three of their rivals are already stakes winners. Course-and-distance star Mister Omaha is the only one with a stakes victory at a mile, although against Oklahoma-breds. Unbeaten Jolly Samurai has won both local sprint stakes that serve as stepping stones to the Springboard Mile, while Coal Battle scored handsomely in the Jean Lafitte S. at Delta Downs.

Mister Omaha has looked a class apart from his state-bred competition, dominating the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and the Don McNeill S. by a combined margin of 10 1/2 lengths. Indeed, the Omaha Beach colt has a pedigree more redolent of Kentucky. Trained by Joe Offolter, the Bryan Hawk homebred is out of an Into Mischief half-sister to Grade 2-winning millionaire Bonny South. Mister Omaha’s maternal grandmother is by Tapit, and he comes from the further family of $14.9 million-earner Country Grammer.

Both of Coal Battle’s wins have come in sprints on off tracks, but his two losses at a mile were on turf and therefore inconclusive for his chances here. Note that the winners of those turf races have since earned Derby points. Coal Battle rallied for fourth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile to Tiztastic, who’s gone on to place in the Street Sense (G3) and Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). Then in a Keeneland turf allowance, Coal Battle finished seventh to Poster, the next-out hero of the Remsen (G2).

Jolly Samurai sports a perfect 3-for-3 record, all achieved in deep-closing style in sprints. The Danny Pish pupil just got up in the Kip Deville S. two back, and in the Clever Trevor S. last time out, he collared the favorite Dominant Spirit with Medicine Dog retreating to third.

Pish has a second contender in Brooklyn Alley Cat, who’s improved to win two straight since stretching out to routes. Dominant Spirit’s trainer, Bret Calhoun, is also double-handed with Essay. The trailer behind Jolly Samurai in the Kip Deville, Essay rebounded to take a 5 1/2-furlong allowance.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the Springboard Mile a record seven times, entered the trio of Blue Angel, Complex Music, and Keeno.

Well-bred Blue Angel, by Hall of Famer Gun Runner, narrowly won on debut here in a slow time. Complex Music is the most exposed of the trio, but the son of successful freshman sire Complexity might have turned the corner with a recent allowance romp at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Keeno, last in the Clever Trevor, moved forward by placing second to Brooklyn Alley Cat in a course-and-distance allowance.

The nightcap on a 12-race card that brings down the curtain on Remington Park’s meet, the Springboard Mile is slated for 11:26 p.m. ET. Post time for the first race on closing night is 6 p.m. ET, and you can watch and wager on all the action from Remington, featuring six stakes races, at TwinSpires.com.