Trainer Justin Evans Has Strong Stable at Remington Park; Express Kid to Miss Oklahoma Derby

Last year’s Springboard Mile winner Express Kid has returned to Oklahoma City, but his trainer, Justin Evans, says he will not run in the Oklahoma Derby this year.

Every year, the previous year’s winner of the cornerstone 2-year-old race at Remington Park, the Springboard Mile, receives a free entry into the next year’s Oklahoma Derby. Evans said, however, that Express Kid is still dealing with some issues that will keep him off the track for a little while longer.

“We will for sure get to unveil him a little later in the meet,” said Evans, 45-year-old trainer, who will be conditioning horses at Remington Park for the first time on a full-time basis. “I’ve brought some in here before but have never stayed here the whole meet. We love it so far.”

The 2026 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season begins Friday, Aug. 21 and continues to Saturday, Dec. 19.

Express Kid, a 3-year-old California-bred colt by Bodexpress, out of the Street Sense mare Sensationalize, won last year’s Springboard Mile by 6-1/4 lengths. The only race he has had since then for new owners Paradise Equine Farm (Brad and Sharon Kleven) was a second-place finish to Pavlovian in the Sunland Park Derby on Feb. 15. Pavlovian went on to run second in the Louisiana Derby, finishing ahead of third-place finisher Golden Tempo who went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

“He got a few months off over the summer,” said Evans, who had the colt moved into his barn from Wade Rarick’s barn after Express Kid was purchased for $800,000 in a January Fasig-Tipton online sale after winning the Springboard Mile. “We were shooting for the Preakness after his Sunland Derby bad beat (runner-up finish). That’s when he came up with the minor (physical) issue.”

Evans has now received clearance from his veterinarian and plans to take Express Kid to the track to start his comeback training regimen on Monday, Aug. 17.

Express Kid sits at six starts lifetime with three wins and two seconds for $345,802 earned. He was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises.

Despite the delay of Express Kid for the opening at Remington Park, Evans has a full barn of 38 horses to pick and choose from, including graded stakes winner Getaway Car. That 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Curlin, out of the Morning Line mare Surrender Now, has already had a couple of workouts at Remington Park (:39.17 seconds for three furlongs, handily on Aug. 7 and :50.25, handily for a half mile on Aug. 13.)

Getaway Car, previously trained on the West Coast by Horse Racing Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, won the Sunland Park Derby on Feb. 16, 2025. He also won the grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar near San Diego as a 2-year-old on Aug. 11, 2024. This year, Getaway Car ran second in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., on Jan. 31 and then third in the Grade 1, $300,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.

Another impressive race for Getaway Car was a runner-up finish to Citizen Bull in the Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 5, 2024. Citizen Bull was a winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1, 2024 and also ran second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to Nysos.

Getaway Car is owned by Paradise Equine, who purchased him for $210,000 just this July in a horses-of-racing-age sale at Fasig-Tipton. Getaway Car’s lifetime record is 12 starts, three wins, three seconds and one third for a bankroll of $692,800.

“He had always been a horse we watched (in the Sunland Derby) with Bob Baffert and really liked,” said Evans. “When he came up for sale, I told Brad (Kleven) I’d really like to get him. He said, ‘well, just get him then.’ Not sure what we will point him toward (at Remington) because he can route or sprint, but he is a very exciting horse.”

Evans’ outfit on the Remington Park backside is truly a family affair. His wife, Vanessa, son Austin and daughter Addy are prominent in the running of his barn.

“My wife and I met when she was working in the racing office at Sunland Park (in New Mexico, situated next to El Paso, Texas),” Evans said. “I used to let the agents enter my horses in the races there until I saw her working behind the entry counter. And then, all of a sudden, I decided I better go up there and start entering every morning (he said with a laugh).

“So, I probably ran a lot of horses that didn’t fit in the races just so I could go in there and see her.”

They have been married for 15 years now and Vanessa is his right-hand woman in the barn.

“She embarrasses me because there are a lot of days she outworks me,” said Evans. “Vanessa makes it all happen. My son, Austin, is at the barn every morning and my daughter knows the names of every horse just by looking at them. We always make sure she is there when they get off the horse trailer wherever we go so she can identify them. It’s amazing.”

Evans said he has a couple of 2-year-olds that he hopes will be Springboard Mile runners. “Their works have been spectacular,” he said.

Paradise Equine also purchased Bon Voyage from that same July Fasig-Tipton sale for $110,000.

“That was Brad and Sharon (Kleven) again and this colt (by Olympiad, from the Pulpit mare Simplify) ran second at Churchill Downs with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up. If you get Irad to ride one of your horses, you know you have something.”

Bon Voyage was the 3-5 favorite in that maiden special weight race and lost by a length to the horse Irad’s, brother Jose rode – Icebreak.

Evans said Remington Park fans should also keep an eye out for Almighty and Triple Blessings. Almighty is a first-time starting 2-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Street Sense, out of the War Front mare Endless Front purchased by Paradise Equine for $275,000 at the Ocala Breeders Sale for 2-year-olds and HRA in June this year. Triple Blessings is also a first-timer 2-year-old Washington-bred by Sharp Azteca, out of the Rosberg mare Dontkissntell. This gelding was purchased at the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association September Yearling and Mixed Sale of 2025 for $9,500.

“We think we have a real big barn with a lot of depth,” Evans said. “I think we’ll be able to handle some of the stakes, hopefully do well with our young horses and be active at the claim box.”

Evans also has ties to an outfit that ruled at Remington Park when it first opened in 1988 – Triple AAA Ranch, a multiple graded stakes winning owner affiliated with trainer Kory Owens from Arizona.  Evans has horses in his barn listed under Triple AAA Ranch. They and Owens won the 2001 Oklahoma Derby with Top Hit.

“I claimed a horse (for Triple AAA Ranch) for $25,000 and he ended up earning about $600,000 after that,” Evans said. “I’d like to follow in their footsteps with their horses here and have the powerful meets that Kory had back in the 1980s and ‘90s.”