Local connections celebrate as Okie-bred Shotgun Kowboy triumphs in Oklahoma Derby

Owned, trained and bred in Edmond, Oklahoma, by C.R. Trout, Shotgun Kowboy was the public’s near 3-1 choice in Sunday’s $420,000 Oklahoma Derby (G2) despite facing the likes of West Coast shipper Desert Dynamo, Super Derby (G2) victor Mobile Bay and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Souper Colossal.

With that much support, Shotgun Kowboy wasn’t about to let his fans down and led nearly every step of the way in the nine-furlong contest to post a half-length victory on the wire.

Shotgun Kowboy gave jockey Cliff Berry his third win in the race when stopping the clock in 1:48.91. That followed an opening split of :22.99 before Classy Class stuck his head in front passing the half-mile mark in :46.99. Shotgun Kowboy fought back on the inside to post the three-quarter mark in 1:11.69 but found plenty of company rounding the turn.

Classy Class, Hillbilly Royalty and Souper Colossal had kept in close contact throughout the race, but began fading upon hitting the stretch. Shotgun Kowboy looked ready to open up on the field, but then had to contend with Desert Dynamo’s wide rally.

The dark bay gelding dug deep to hold that rival and in the process became just the second Oklahoma-bred to win the Oklahoma Derby after Clever Trevor took the inaugural running in 1989.

Desert Dynamo was best of the rest, four lengths up on Mobile Bay. It was another 5 1/2 lengths back to Souper Colossal.

Shotgun Kowboy has only ever run at Remington Park, opening his career with a dominating 12-length maiden victory last August. He followed that by running on the 2014 Oklahoma Derby Day program in the Kip Deville, but could only manage third on that occasion.

The Kodiak Kowboy gelding returned to the winner’s circle next out when posting a 6 1/2-length score in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile S. and added the Clever Trevor S. to his resume in early November. Shotgun Kowboy tried to close out his two-year-old season with a stakes hat trick but just missed by a head in the Remington Springboard Mile after losing ground.

Trout had high hopes for Shotgun Kowboy’s sophomore season, but the dark bay was sidelined after developing a minor issue and then suffering from a minor bout of colic. He didn’t make his seasonal bow until last out on August 29, when he once again proved his superiority over state-bred rivals with an 11-length romp in an allowance.

Screenshots of Shotgun Kowboy (inside) winning the Oklahoma Derby