Texas Chrome scores gutsy Oklahoma Derby triumph

Despite bringing a two-race win streak into Sunday’s $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park that included the Super Derby (G2), Keene Thoroughbreds LLC’s Texas Chrome was sent off the second choice in a field of 11 runners.

The game colt proved best, though, scraping the paint off the rail in the final yards to triumph by a half-length under jockey C.J. McMahon.

Sticksstatelydude tracked the pacesetting Way Striking through the opening half-mile before taking over entering the lane. Texas Chrome was biding his time but found a wall of horses in front of him rounding the turn. McMahon didn’t panic, patiently waiting to see how the front runners would separate, then angled Texas Chrome over to the rail.

Sticksstatelydude came in and squeezed the bay son of Grasshopper till there was little between him and the rail. That didn’t faze Texas Chrome, who dug in and battled back on the inside to finish 1 1/8 miles over Remington’s good dirt in 1:48.94.

Trained by J.R. Caldwell, Texas Chrome paid $6.60 as the 2-1 second favorite behind 2-1 choice Fish Trappe Road. That runner just kept his neck in front of Pass the Buck to take third while three lengths behind Sticksstatelydude.

Texas Chrome, purchased for a bargain price of $10,000, has now earned $842,462 to go along with a 13-8-1-3 career mark. In addition to this one and the Super Derby, the Texas-bred also boasts wins in five other stakes. He’s placed in four black-type contests, including the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) and Iowa Derby (G3).

Earlier on the Remington program, Red Oak Stable’s homebred Unbridled Mo continued her winning ways with a 1 1/4-length score in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, the bay Uncle Mo filly moved her win streak to four straight and was exiting a neck victory in the Monmouth Oaks (G3).

Also on the card, Lewis E. Mathews Jr.’s Ivan Fallunovalot successfully defended his title in the $150,450 David M. Vance Sprint under Lindey Wade for trainer W.T. Howard. Last year the Valid Expectations gelding followed up his Vance win with a victory in the Remington Park Sprint Cup and a ninth-placing in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).

Texas Chrome screenshot