After two near misses in recent derbys, The Judge Sez Who came up with the right answer to take Sunday's grade III, $295,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. Trained by Milton Wolfson and ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, The Judge Sez Who used his usual late run to gain ground on most of the field of nine throughout the 1-1/8 miles. When the combatants made the top of the stretch, The Judge Sez Who was just a head behind A. P. Five Hundred and the race was on.Charging down the stretch, five horses were making a bid for victory as the pace-setting Cowboy Stuff backed up and left the riches for the taking. Easyfromthegitgo advanced with The Judge Sez Who as they passed A. P. Five Hundred in tandem. Premeditation and Missme were in the middle of the track trying to keep up.In the final strides, The Judge Sez Who had a little more and prevailed by a half-length over Easyfromthegitgo in 1:49.34 over a muddy track. A. P. Five Hundred held third, just a head behind the second-place finisher.The rest of the order of finish, from fourth to ninth, was Premeditation, Missme, Cowboy Stuff, Grey Beard, Dusty Spike and Wishingitwas.The Judge Sez Who and Easyfromthegitgo both left the starting gate at 5-2 odds, with the latter a slight favorite by just a few wagering dollars.The Judge Sez Who paid $7 to win, $3.40 to place and $2.80 to show. Easyfromthegitgo paid $3.20 to place and $3 to show. A. P. Five Hundred paid $4 to show. The exacta (5-2) paid $20.80. The trifecta (5-2-8) paid $78 while the superfecta (5-2-8-6) paid $769.40.
A Florida-bred bay colt by Judge T C from the Native Prospector mare Mandy Mack, The Judge Sez Who won his seventh race from 16 starts and earned $177,000 for his Miami based owned Richard Simon. His overall earnings now stand at $605,876.