Into August, Godolphin's operation and trainer Brad Cox had considered running Shared Sense in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). When they opted out, the $200,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park was chosen as the next stop for him, and on Sept. 27 he came through for those connections.
Godolphin's top option for the Kentucky Derby for most of the year was a horse named Maxfield . When he left the Derby trail with an injury, Shared Sense became a possibility for the Run for the Roses the first Saturday of this month. He was a late bloomer, however, winning his first stakes race July 8 in the Indiana Derby (G3) at Indiana Grand. While he earned 20 points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby field, he would have had to be supplemented for $45,000 if they wanted to take on Tiz the Law and Authentic . The connections opted to keep him on a different route.
"We just didn't feel like he had the turn of foot coming out of the gate that you need to be in position to run against horses like those in the Kentucky Derby," said Blake Cox, who represented his dad, Brad Cox, at Remington. "We always thought he was a nice horse, but he still needed to learn some things."
After the Indiana Derby, Shared Sense was entered back in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby Aug. 9 but left the starting gate from the outside post of 12. He was behind the field down the backstretch and did close but only managed fifth.
That's when Blake Cox said his father talked to Godolphin, and they opted out of Kentucky for Oklahoma to give the Street Sense colt more experience.
Cox became the first trainer to win the Oklahoma Derby in back-to-back years, having also scored in 2019 with Owendale.
Shared Sense was made the 9-5 favorite and pulled away deep in the stretch for a two-length victory over Mo Mosa in second. Lightly raced Liam, making his first start against winners and first stakes try, ran third at 26-1, another 2 1/2 lengths back. Avant Garde, Salow, Rowdy Yates, Dean Martini, Code Runner, and Creative Plan completed the order of finish.
Jockey Richard Eramia took comfortable rein on Shared Sense down the backstretch of the 1 1/8-mile race on the main track, sitting fifth.
"I had a little hold on him and he was relaxed behind horses," Eramia said. "I knew I had a lot of horse left and the best horse in the race."
Eramia and Shared Sense put a head in front at the top of the lane before drawing off from their competition.
After chasing fractions of :24.11, :48.96, 1:13.75, and 1:38.14 set by Liam, Shared Sense hit the finish line in 1:49.88 on the fast surface.
The Kentucky-bred is out of the Bernardini mare Collective, who foaled a full sister to Shared Sense in April.
Shared Sense boasts $447,745 in earnings from a 4-2-0 record in 10 starts.
Video: Oklahoma Derby (G3)
Envoutante Breaks Through in Remington Park Oaks
Trainer Kenny McPeek shipped Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Envoutante for the $100,000 Remington Park Oaks (G3) straight from two grade 1 stakes attempts—the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) July 11 at Keeneland and the Alabama Stakes (G1) won by stablemate Swiss Skydiver Aug. 15 at Saratoga Race Course. After running third and fourth, respectively in those events, she showed her class by easily winning the Remington Park Oaks Sunday.
The win was McPeek's second in this race and the victory ended a two-year streak by trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the Oaks with Lady Apple and She's a Julie the past two years. McPeek also won this race with Montana Native in 2013. Remington's leading rider and top rider the past two years, David Cabrera, was aboard Envoutante for the win.
"I watched some tape of her when she was at Gulfstream Park and she looked uncomfortable there, so my main thing was just to get her comfortable," Cabrera said. "So I put her on the outside and she felt comfortable. When we went to the lead in the stretch she pricked her ears and I said, 'Uh-oh,' so I got her attention with the left stick and that's when she just drew away."
Envoutante and Cabrera settled into a midpack fifth position in the early going of the 1 1/16-mile race, then moved to the lead at the top of the stretch before cruising home. She chased early fractions of :23.84, :47.78, and 1:11.89. By a mile in 1:36.91, Envoutante was in charge.
Envoutante ran the exact same winning time to the hundredths of a second that She's a Julie did two years ago: 1:43.36. She paid $2.60 as the favorite.
Paige Anne, Seattle Slang, Trixie Racer, Jeweled Princess, Curls and Bows, Darlene Strong, and Hotasapistol completed the order of finish.
The victory boosted Envoutante's earnings to $215,748 from a 3-1-2 record in eight starts. The filly was purchased for $250,000 from the Baccari Bloodstock consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She was bred in Kentucky by Jumping Jack Racing out of the multiple stakes-placed Bluegrass Cat mare Enchante.
