TOTAL OF 28 HORSES NOMINATED TO OKLAHOMA DERBY AT REMINGTON PARK, INCLUDING $2 MILLION PURCHASE, OUR MONEYMAN

Sunday, September 13, 2026
by Richard Linihan

Our Moneyman, a horse that set a record of selling for $2 million in a Fasig-Tipton special sale in July was among the 28 total number of nominees for the upcoming Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Remington Park.

The nominees included 14 stakes winners and horses from the barns of four of the top 25 trainers in the country according to horse earnings. That list includes the all-time winningest trainer in North American horse racing history and 20-time training title winner at Remington Park, Steve Asmussen. Currently, ,Asmussen is third in the country in horses’ earnings and first overall in wins, according to Equibase statistics.

Our Moneyman, a 3-year-old Louisiana-bred colt by Mr. Money, out of the Flatter mare Lipstick Junky, was put into the Fasig-Tipton July Horses-of-Age-Sale in July this year and the Saudi Arabia outfit of KAS Stables opened their pocketbooks to the tune of a record $2 million for him as the last horse in the catalog. Bret Calhoun is listed as the trainer for Our Moneyman, who has been just as impressive on the track as he was in that sale. His last start came on July 11 when he ran second in the Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis, beaten only by a neck to a relative obscure horse at the time – Leading Change. That scenario disappeared last week when Leading Change jumped up and won the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes at 10-1 odds, beating both the Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, and Preakness winner Napoleon Solo.

Finishing a neck back of the undefeated Leading Change wasn’t the only impressive try for Our Moneyman. He also ran second in the Grade 2, $500,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on June7, two lengths behind Further Ado, who was the beaten favorite in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Our Moneyman’s stakes wins came in the $100,000 Crescent City Derby on March 22 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans and in the $125,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes on Dec. 13, 2025. Our Moneyman’s lifetime record is nine starts, three wins, five seconds and one third for a bankroll of $392,067.

There are three other horses nominated to the Oklahoma Derby that have earned more than Our Moneyman, two of them surpassing the half-million dollar mark already in their careers. They are Pavlovian ($621,450, trainer Doug O’Neill), Trendsetter ($575,962, trainer Ben Colebrook) and Blackout Time ($423,635, trainer Ken McPeek).

The three other trainers besides Asmussen submitting noms that are in the top 25 in the country are Bob Baffert (11th), McPeek (18th) and O’Neill (22nd).

Here’s a look at some of the horses of note that were nominated:

• Pavlovian, $621,450 earned for O’Neill and owners Reddam Racing (J. Paul Reddam) bred in California by the owners. This gray 3-year-old colt by Pavel, out of the Bellamy Road mare Mandy’s Grace, won the $500,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park and ran second in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby to Emerging Market by a head, finishing ahead of eventual Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo who was third. Both he and Emerging Market ran in the Kentucky Derby, behind their Fair Grounds rival. Pavlovian finished 18th. His racing record is 14-2-4-1.
• Trendsetter, $575,962 earned for Colebrook and owner Davant Latham and was bred in Kentucky by Circle B Family Farm. This 3-year-old gelding by Modernist, out of the Astrology mare Suyapa, won the Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington Stakes at Keenland in Lexington, Ky. He also ran second in the Grade 3, $400,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park, losing by six lengths to Zihnal, who was also nominated to the Oklahoma Derby. Trendsetter also was third in the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. His racing record is 11-3-2-3.
• The Hell We Did, second in the Lexington behind Trendsetter, this half-brother to Senor Buscador is owned by Peacock Family Racing Stable and trained by Todd Fincher. A 3-year-old colt by Authentic from the Desert God mare Rose’s Desert, The Hell We Did broke his maiden at first-asking at Remington Park on Oct. 16, 2025. He has stabled at Remington throughout this season to prep for the Oklahoma Derby. The Hell We Did also ran seventh in the Preakness, second in the Iowa Derby and fourth in the St. Louis Derby. He has made seven starts with one win and two seconds for total earnings of $194,518.
• Blackout Time, $423,635 earned for McPeek and owners BR Thoroughbreds, Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Racing, was bred in Kentucky by Newstead Corp. The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Not This Time, from the Elusive Quality mare Beauty Parlor, ran second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland as a 2-year-old and then finished third as the 8-5 favorite in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park.
• J J Grey, $349,788 earned for McPeek and owners Shamrock Stables (Rob Hutcherson), MJM Racing and Magdalena Racing, and was bred in Kentucky by Dermot Carty. This 3-year-old Kentucky bred gray colt by Street Boss, out of the Fairbanks mare Norquay, won three of his last four starts, including the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows and the $50,000 Prairie Mile. His record is 11-5-0-0.
• Fuzzbuster, $336,144 earned for defending Oklahoma Derby champion trainer Victoria Oliver and owner BBN Racing, and was bred in Kentucky by Cobra Bloodstock and Lynch Bages LTD. This 3-year-old colt by Tiz the Law, out of the Medicean (GB) mare Moanin (FR), broke his maiden at Churchill Downs and then fourth and third in the Grade 2, $500,000 Secretariat Stakes at Colonial Downs and the $1.75 million Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs, respectively. His record is 8-1-2-4.
• Universe, $306,250 earned for McPeek and owners 4 G Racing, Gregg Day, Steven Crain and Magdalena Racing, and was bred in Kentucky by Becky Pietras. This 3-year-old gelding by Global Campaign, out of the Quality Road mare Equalityforall, broke his maiden at Saratoga in upstate New York and then ran no worse than fourth in five of his next six races, all against stakes company. He was third in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes behind Preakness winner Napoleon Solo (at Belmont at Aqueduct), second in the Grade 3, $200,000 Street Sense Stakes (Churchill Downs), second in the Grade 2, $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club to Kentucky Derby favorite Further Ado (CD), fourth in the Grade 2 ,$500,000 Risen Star Stakes (at Fair Grounds) and fourth in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby (FG).
• Zihnal, Winner of the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 9 after a pulling away in the stretch to score by 6-1/4 lengths. The gelding by Quality Road from the Ghostzapper mare Theodora B. was also fourth in the Indiana Derby. He has earnings of $286,241 for trainer Jonathan Thomas and owner Augustin Stables. He was bred in Kentucky by George Strawbridge, Jr. Zihnal has made five starts with two wins and no other placings.

Other stakes winners nominated to the Oklahoma Derby included Crupper (winner of $200,000 Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park, trained by Donnie Von Hemel, owner Dr. Robert Zoellner); Plutarch (winner of the Grade 3, $100,000 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita for Baffert and owners Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor); Quarry (winner of the Grade 3, $200,000 Canada Derby for trainer Jerry Gourneau and owner Henry S. Witt, Jr. and also the $250,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept.12); Secured Freedom (winner of the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Robertino Diodoro and owners Leslie and Jean Pierre Amestoy, Jr., and Roger Beasley); Sharons Beach (winner of $250,000 St. Louis Derby for Thomas and owner Panic Stable) … Sharons Beach was bred by top Oklahoma breeder and owner Bryan Hawk; Royalamerican (winner of Oklahoma Classics Juvenile, Don McNeill Stakes at Remington Park and Welder Stakes at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.); Tricky Business (winner of the $200,000 Albany Stakes at Saratoga, restricted to New York-breds for trainer George Weaver and owner R.A. Hill Stable); Buck Pie (winner of the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Handicap) for trainer Joe Offolter and owner Bryan Hawk, and How About Bob (winner of the $50,000 Golden Circle Stakes at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa).

The Oklahoma Derby is the richest stakes race on the Remington Park Thoroughbred schedule and headlines a stellar program with seven other stakes events on Sept. 27.

Remington Park racing continues Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 17-19 with the first race nightly at 6:30pm-Central.

Remington Park has provided more than $426 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. The 2026 Oklahoma Derby is set for Sunday, Sept. 27 at Remington Park. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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