The Run for the Roses races through the Sooner State on late
Friday night. A field of 11 Kentucky Derby hopefuls will race 1 mile on
Remington Park's main track in the $200,000 Remington Springboard Mile.
Horseplayers might need an extra shot of caffeine for the Springboard with the
12th race's post time set for 11:28 pm eastern.
The winner gets a couple of prizes beyond the $120,000
check, an automatic entry with all fees paid for the Oklahoma Derby and 10
qualifying points for the 2021 Kentucky Derby (second receives four points, two
for third and one gets one).
The late-night run will be the fourth as a Derby qualifier
for the Springboard Mile, it was added as a stop on the road to the Kentucky
Derby in 2017. So far, 2018 winner LONGE RANGE TODDY is the only of the three
Springboard Mile champs to make the trip from Oklahoma City to Louisville for
the first Saturday in May. Unfortunately, he finished 16th in the
KD.
Staying up late might be a good idea for players that like
to fade the chalk at the top of the ticket. None of the three post-time
favorites hit the wire first since the Springboard was added as a road to the
Derby destination. A pair managed to collect place money and the other ran off
the board.
Along with making it difficult for the favorite, the
distance appears to make it difficult for inside horses. LONG RANGE TODDY was
the closest of the trio to score, leaving from box five and only two of the nine
in the money finishers that started from posts one through four. An inside post-disadvantage is kind of
unusual considering the first left turn comes quickly. Normally, inside horses,
especially speed, have an edge with an early turn in a two turn races.
However, the last three Springboard Miles could be the
exception and not the post rule. During the current meet, nine of the 88
winners at the distance left from the rail and another 18 from posts two and
three combined.
While the typical post bias in an early turn race hasn't
held in the last three Springboard Miles, all the winners hurried out of the
gates and pressed the lead from the jump. That's in-line with Remington's
numbers during the ongoing meet. The average winner at 1 mile on the Oklahoma
track was third at the quarter-pole and first or second after the half.
If outside speed is the key for the Springboard mile, then
it could come down to OUTADORE (PP: 9 ML 3-1) and JOE FRAZIER (PP: 10 ML 5-1).
Both have made their way to the front in routes (races of 1 mile or more).
Others have taken charge early in sprints (less than a 1 mile) but struggled to
find the front in longer runs. NUMBER ONE DUDE (PP: 2 ML 6-1) also has early
wheels and showed he can stay close to the front in winning his last at 1 mile
on Remington's main track.
The folks at Guaranteed Tip Sheet expect the trio of front
runners to play prominently as they have them in their top five picks with OUTADORE
getting the Kentucky Derby 10. They
aren't alone in liking the son of OUTWORK. Remington Park's house handicappers
Jerry Shottenkirk and Randy Hare have OUTADORE on the top of their lists.
Meanwhile, Richard Linihan has him second behind COWAN (PP: 8 ML 4-1).
No matter which horse wins, their barns will
hope to join LONG RANGE TODDY as the second Springboard Mile champ to race in
the Kentucky Derby.
Get today's full picks for all tracks and races at Guaranteed Tip Sheet.
