Oklahoma Derby

Sent to post as the 1-2 favorite in a full field of 10 3-year-olds, West Texas Racing Partners' Cowboy Blue Z got up at the wire to win Saturday's 350-yard, $219,635 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park.

Prepped by Mike Joiner and ridden by Francisco Calderon, Cowboy Blue Z stopped the timer in :17.647, and his margin of victory was a short nose from 26-1 longshot Baby Ruth, who was clocked in :17.650. The son of Flying Cowboy 123 earned $87,854 from his first stakes victory.

"We left there running," said Calderon, who was winning this stakes for the third time in his career. "But the last 50 yards, I thought (Baby Ruth)  had us beat. I asked my horse, 'Is that all you got?' That's when he went back to it and didn't give up. Thank God he had more left."

The fastest qualifier, Cowboy Blue Z made his season debut with a half-length victory in the fourth of seven Oklahoma Derby trials on March 9. The bay colt was bred in Texas by Slash Z Quarter Horses, and he was a $120,000 purchase at the '23 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Cowboy Blue Z was coming off of a juvenile campaign during which he qualified to the Oklahoma (G2) and Texas Classic (G1) futurities.

"He had a couple of issues after the Oklahoma Futurity last year, so we waited on him,” said Joiner. “He got healed up and now he’s just a super horse, but I think this is about as far as he can run, 350 yards.

"He’s paid up in the Heritage Place Derby, so that might be next," the trainer added.

Cowboy Blue Z was winning for the fifth time in 10 outs and pushing his bankroll to $188,143.

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