Otto the Conqueror is on the road to the Kentucky Derby (G1).
The 2-year-old son of 2007 Derby winner Street Sense came to Remington Park, he saw pace-setter Glengarry wouldn’t quit, and he conquered the $300,000 Springboard Mile, winning by three-quarters of a length.
“It’s off to Hot Springs, and Derby trail, here we come,” Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said after Friday night’s race at the Oklahoma City track. “You just saw two nice horses hooked up from start to finish.”
Hot Springs, Arkansas is the home of Oaklawn Park, Asmussen’s main base that features several key Derby preps, including the Southwest (G3), the Rebel (G2), and the Arkansas Derby (G1). The Springboard was worth 10 Derby qualifying points to Otto the Conqueror, putting him among the top 10 on the early leaderboard.
Glengarry, with Luis Saez up, and Otto the Conqueror, with Tyler Gaffalione aboard, took charge from the start in the race reduced to six starters after three scratches. Glengarry, 3-for-3 coming in, took the lead with Otto the Conqueror right behind.
The two pulled away from the others by as many as eight lengths and were just about even with a quarter mile to go. They dueled on nearly even terms in the stretch until the final yards before Otto the Conqueror ($4.80 on a $2 win bet) pulled out the win.
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The winning time for the mile was 1:39.91 over a muddy track. Magic Grant staged a late rally for third, 1 /4 lengths behind Glengarry.
“He fired a big one,” Gaffalione said of his colt, now 3-fo-4 for owner Three Chimneys Farms. “He never gave it up. Steve brought him over and he ran a big race.”
Glengarry earned 5 Derby points, Magic Grant 3, Third Street 2, and My Buddy Mel 1. Raging Torrent, the West Coast shipper trained by Doug O’Neill, got off to a poor start and finished last as the 6-5 favorite.
Fidget, Gettysburg Address, and Rhino Runner were scratched.
Asmussen won the Springboard for the seventh time. His other winners were Shoplifted (2019), Long Range Toddy (2018), Bayerd (2014), Test Boy (2005), Smooth Bid (2004), and Shawklit Man (2002).