BBN Racing's Bracket Buster landed his first graded stakes victory in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sept. 28 at Remington Park. That achievement was not the only first to come out of the race, his trainer Vicki Oliver became the first female trainer to capture the Oklahoma Derby in the 37-year history of the race.
"(Bracket Buster) is a really neat horse," Oliver said. "We were looking for a race about five weeks out for him and this race fit him perfectly."
With the scratch of Coal Battle, Bracket Buster entered the race as the 2-5 favorite. The son of 2024 leading freshman sire Vekoma sat off the leaders early in the race, following fractions of :24.23, :48.04, and 1:12.41. He took command in the stretch to draw clear under Luis Saez, hitting the wire 3 1/4 lengths in front, and finishing the 1 1/8-mile race over a fast main track in 1:49.99. He paid $2.80 to win.
"He is a pretty talented horse," Saez said. "Today's race came up pretty easy and I was very comfortable about his chances."
It was Saez's third win on the derby day program as he enjoyed wins in the E. L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes and the Ricks Memorial Stakes. He finished second in the Remington Park Oaks, the race preceding the Oklahoma Derby aboard Goldophin's Lemon Zest.
Iron Dome the second betting favorite at 4-1 finished second, with Mister Omaha a 1/2 length back in third. Graded stakes-placed Publisher finished fourth. Hot Gunner, Colonel Yorke, and Take Charge Tom completed the order of finish.
Bracket Buster was coming off a distant second-place finish to Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty in the Travers Stakes Aug. 23. He finished 10 lengths behind the colt, and 10 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Magnitude. Prior to that effort, he finished fourth to Preakness Stakes (G1) Journalism in the Haskell Stakes (G1).
The colt improved his record to 3-2-1 from 10 career starts, bringing his lifetime earnings to $776,318.
Bracket Buster was bred in Kentucky by David Baxter. He is out of the stakes-winning Dance With Ravens mare Spring Dance, who is a half sister to the multiple graded stakes-placed Power of Snunner, and hails from the family of 2015 Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year and millionaire Page McKenney.
He went through the auction ring twice—as a weanling selling for $160,000 in 2022 at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale to Cherry Knoll Farm, and as a yearling where he was picked up by BBN Racing for $125,000 from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2023.
Video: Oklahoma Derby (G3)
