The listed Remington Springboard Mile Stakes has yet to be won by the eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, but perhaps this year's race at Remington Park, which again offers Derby qualifying points, snaps that streak.
If it does happen, no trainer is better positioned to come away victorious from the Dec. 20 contest than Steve Asmussen. The Hall of Famer has three members of his stable in the field of 12, including the morning-line favorite. He has won the race seven times.
The $300,000 Remington Park Springboard Mile will award points toward qualifying for the 2026 Kentucky Derby on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis.
Spice Runner, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, has had some challenges in graded company this year. After winning the Iroquois Stakes (G3) this fall, he was a distant fifth in the Breeders' Futurity (G1), a race that was won by presumptive 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey and also featured subsequent Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Litmus Test. Then last time out, Spice Runner was seventh in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). Having run exclusively in the Bluegrass State to this point, a change of scenario and a step down in class might be exactly what the Gun Runner colt needs to find his form again.
He enters Saturday's race as the 3-1 favorite.
The third choice at 9-2, Time for Music is a family affair. Trained by Asmussen, the gray or roan colt will be ridden by Erik Asmussen, the trainer's son. By one of the top sires in North America, Not This Time , Time for Music needed a few starts to find his groove.
After breaking his maiden at third asking, Time for Music followed with a second-place effort in a Churchill Downs allowance optional claiming race last month. Owned by Mike McCarty, the colt was bred by International Equities Holding.
Completing Steve Asmussen's trio is Way Beyond. The longest price of the three at 12-1 on the morning line, the Twirling Candy colt has been uneven in his rookie campaign with an expensive maiden claiming win and a third in allowance company from five starts.
The second choice at 4-1 is Arctic Beast. Undefeated from three starts, the son of leading first-crop sire Yaupon picked up black type in each of his last two starts. The Michael Maker trainee ran away by more than 7 lengths in the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes and followed that with a 5 3/4-length win at the same track in the New York Breeders' Futurity.
Arctic Beast is owned by Paradise Farm, JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables, and Jennifer Rice. He was bred in New York by Rockridge Stud, Saratoga Glen Farm, and Beal's Racing Stable.
Several longshots have experience at the Oklahoma City track. All five (Essential Time, Express Kid, Jets Rio, Royalamerican, and Western Man) have at least one triumph at Remington Park, and their connections hope that experience plays to their favor.
Big Apple Patrick, My Dream Zapper, and Supreme Good complete the field.
Remington Park, Saturday, December 20, 2025, Race 12Entries: Remington Springboard Mile S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Arctic Beast (NY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 121 Michael J. Maker 4/1 2 2Time for Music (KY) Erik Asmussen 121 Steven M. Asmussen 9/2 3 3Essential Time (KY) Iram Vargas Diego 121 Danny Pish 6/1 4 4Royalamerican (OK) David Cabrera 121 C. R. Trout 12/1 5 5My Dream Zapper (ON) Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez 121 Stetson Rushton 20/1 6 6Supreme Good (IRE) Christopher Elliott 121 Kenneth G. McPeek 8/1 7 7Spice Runner (KY) Stewart Elliott 121 Steven M. Asmussen 3/1 8 8Way Beyond (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 121 Steven M. Asmussen 12/1 9 9Western Man (OK) Richard E. Eramia 121 Joe S. Offolter 20/1 10 10Big Apple Patrick (KY) Walter A. Rodriguez 121 Daniel Leitch 15/1 11 11Jets Rio (KY) Rene Diaz 121 Ron Moquett 30/1 12 12Express Kid (CA) Jose L. Alvarez 121 Wade Rarick 20/1
