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Originally Posted by Sightseek
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Oxbow looked terrific. Here's Mike's comment and note the highlight. That's a code for Dublin and Optimizer coming into their Derbys on the nod. Those two dragged themselves around in the mornings and shut down quickly after their works. Oxbow coming towards this Derby in top shape..
Oxbow (five furlongs in 1:00.95) breezed closer to six furlongs than five as he took a long run at the pole after being released from the pony by trainer D. Wayne Lukas. With jockey Gary Stevens aboard, Oxbow showed a high energy level right from the start, and Stevens did well to slow him down to a 24.42-second opening quarter and 36.36 three-furlong split.
Running with his head cocked inward, Oxbow fanned out about four paths wide entering the stretch, switched leads right on cue, and was straight as a string to the wire, completing his final quarter in 24.59 without any urging by Stevens.
Although in past years, Lukas’s Derby runners rarely did much during the gallop-out, Oxbow continued on strongly into and around the turn, getting six furlongs in 1:14.48 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:28.67. It was a sharp move for a horse who may fly under the radar a bit and figures to show much more early speed after being hauled back early and turning in a disappointing effort in the Arkansas Derby.
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