Fire Eat N Cowboy (#7), under champion jockey Ricky Ramirez, setting the fastest qualifying time in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby trials Sunday at Remington Park.

© Dustin Orona Photography

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MARCH 10, 2024—Making his fourth career start, Fire Eat N Cowboy raced to the fastest qualifying time for the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby after six trials were contested Sunday afternoon at Remington Park.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will return to the Oklahoma City oval on Saturday, March 23 to vie for the winners share of a $217,678 purse going 350 yards.

Ridden by champion jockey Ricky Ramirez, Fire Eat N Cowboy defeated Thunder Cartel by a neck in trial 3 while clocking :17.620 seconds, a 91 speed index into a 9 mph headwind. The son of last year's leading first-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 is a Texas homebred for owner-breeder Paragon Farms, LLC. 

Out of the Texas Juvenile winner She Eat Fire, by Corona Cartel, Fire East N Cowboy is conditioned by trainer S. Trey Wood. Fire Eat N Cowboy was a $50,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale repurchase in 2022.

He appeared extremely talented when he broke his maiden at first asking last year in the Rainbow Futurity trials at Ruidoso Downs, N.M., scooting away to a one-length victory on May 27. Unfortunately, Fire Eat N Cowboy came away from that huge effort with an injury and had to be vanned off. He was laid off from May to September and then resurfaced at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

When he was trying to win for the second time in a row, this time in a softer allowance race for non-winners of two races lifetime. He lost all chance when he hopped at the start, giving the field a head start. He finished fifth.

In his only other start before today, Fire Eat N Cowboy tried a futurity trial at Lone Star Park on Oct. 27 and got bumped, running a distant third in that event. After five more months off, the swift gelding appears to be back to his old self that showed up in his first career race. 

Runner-up in the fastest trial Thunder Cartel managed to hand on to the second fastest qualifying time of :17.674 seconds, an 89 speed index.  Alexis Ramirez had the riding call aboard the Favorite Cartel colt for owner Luis Huerta and trainer Jose Huerta.

Wallace Johnson bred Thunder Cartel in Oklahoma from the First Down Dash mare Runaway Heart.

Party Time Racing's B Second Cowboy got his fifth career win in eight starts in the second trial under champion jockey Francisco Calderon. The son of leading sire Flying Cowboy 123 clocked :17.720 seconds, with a 6 mph tailwind, to establish the third fastest time.

Trainer Mauricio Lopez conditions the two-time Grade 2 finalists from the Favorite Cartel mare Nsm Favorite Zoomer. B Second Cowboy has earned $59,360.

All of the trials were conducted over a fast track into slight headwinds between 10-12mph.

For the complete list of Oklahoma Derby finalists, with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

Remington Park live racing resumes next week with a Thursday-Sunday schedule, March 14-17. Racing begins at 6 p.m. every night but Sunday when first post is 4 p.m. All times are Central.

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Remington Park has provided more than $344 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 racing schedule begins Thursday, March 7, as the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season starts its 50-date season. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.