BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 8, 2014—
© Coady Photography
Graded derby winners I Azoomed You Knew and Mister Big are among the 31 3-year-olds entered in Sunday’s 400-yard Heritage Place Derby [G2] trials at Remington Park.
The 10 fastest qualifiers from the four heats will meet in the $100,000-added Heritage Place Derby final on May 31.
An Oklahoma-bred son of Azoom racing for Carlos M. Soto from the barn of Brandon Muniz, I Azoomed You Knew will be making his first start since March 29, when he was a prompt 7-5 favorite as the fifth-fastest qualifier in the 400-yard West Texas Derby [G3] at Sunland Park in New Mexico.
Unraced at 2, I Azoomed You Knew has earned $92,429 from four outs. G.R. Carter Jr. will ride the gelding from post 7 in the fourth trial.
Mister Big is a homebred colt by Shazoom owned by Jerry Windham of College Station, Texas, and trained by Judd Kearl. Mister Big has banked $96,415 from seven starts, and he broke his maiden at odds of 13-1 in the April 19, $167,000 Sam Houston Derby [G3] at Sam Houston Race Park.
Jose Alvarez has been named to ride Mister Big from the rail post in heat 3.
Other graded stakes winners entered in the Heritage Place Derby trials include Preston and Karen Cloud’s Rocketair. A sorrel gelding by Jumpn trained by Clinton Crawford, Rocketair ended his 2-year-old campaign with a half-length victory in the 400-yard, $385,000 Black Gold Futurity Championship [RG3] at Will Rogers Downs.
Post time for Remington Park’s first race on Sunday is 1:30 p.m. (CDT). The first Heritage Place Derby trial is scheduled to go off at 1:56.
All Remington Park races, can been seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.