Trainer Brad Cox’s win streak in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) ended at three last year, but the prolific conditioner is back for Sunday’s renewal at Remington Park with Hit Show, who will break from post 13 in the 1 1/8-mile fixture for three-year-olds.
The Oklahoma Derby represents a significant drop in class for Hit Show, who kicked off the year winning the Withers (G3), followed by a nose loss in the Wood Memorial (G2). In his last three outings, the son of Candy Ride finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), a dead-heat fourth in the Belmont (G1), and last of five in the Jim Dandy (G2) in the slop.
Hit Show will sport blinkers for the first time and was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite.
Red Route One, three-length winner of the West Virginia Derby (G3) over West Coast Cowboy two back, returns to the dirt following an unsuccessful jaunt over turf in the Dueling Grounds Derby (G3) at Kentucky Downs. He, too, failed to make much noise in the classics last spring, finishing fourth in the Preakness and eighth in the Belmont.
Gotham (G3) winner Raise Cain was a non-threatening fourth behind the above two in the West Virginia Derby when last seen, though he missed by a nose in the Indiana Derby (G3) in his prior start. Tumbarumba has won three of his last four, including the one-mile Ellis Park Derby, while Cagliostro placed in both the Indiana Derby and Smarty Jones (G3) at Parx over the summer.
