Full Field for Oklahoma Derby

A well-matched group of 12 3-year-olds square off Sunday in the GIII Oklahoma Derby. Tigertail Ranch homebred Mobile Bay (Lone Star Special) returns off two weeks’ rest, having annexed the GII Super Derby at Louisiana Downs by a clear-cut 2 1/4 lengths Sept. 12. The dark bay strung together a trio of wins–including two in Louisiana-bred stakes company–at Evangeline Downs before finishing third in the Super Derby Prelude Aug. 8. He’ll be piloted again by Hall of Famer Edgar Prado. Desert Dynamo (Desert Party) ships in from Southern California. A Santa Anita optional claimer winner off the trainer change from Jeff Bonde to Jerry Hollendorfer May 30, he was most recently a close-up third with a bit of stretch trouble in Del Mar’s El Cajon S. Aug. 29. Invading from the opposite coast is Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Colossal (War Front), who is looking to snap a four-race runner-up streak. A winner of the Texas Glitter S. sprinting on the Gulfstream turf on seasonal debut in February, he resurfaced at trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr.’s Monmouth base to be second in the Select S. in June and Long Branch S. in July. He gave a good account of himself despite a wide journey in the Aug. 1 GII West Virginia Derby, and set a quick pace before being soundly defeated by Island Town (Hard Spun) in Parx’s GIII Smarty Jones S. Aug. 29.