The cutting world is focused on Tulsa, Okla this week and one of the sport’s richest events, the Breeder’s Invitational, which concludes on Saturday, May 25 with the Open and Non-Pro Derby Finals.

Last week’s 5 & 6-year old Classic/Challenge competition saw Sly Playgirl and Jaime Snider claim their second consecutive Breeder’s Invitational title for owner Luis De Armas, who also rides the 6-year-old mare in non-pro competition. Bred by Glade Knight’s Slate River Ranch, owner of her late sire, That Sly Cat, Sly Playgirl won $22,826 and has career earnings of $312,000.

Thundercat, shown by Wesley Galyean for Steven Feiner, was Open reserve champion; Galyean also tied for sixth on High Classed Hottie, owned by Norda Burger

Last week’s biggest surprise, however, came on Saturday, May 18. The same day that Oxbow upset Kentucky Derby winner Orb in Maryland’s Preakness Stakes, I C Hi Stars and Francisco Sigala upset a 27-horse finals field in Tulsa to win the Breeder’s Invitational Non-Pro Classic/Challenge, with 220 points.

Although Francisco Sigala, 25, has a Texas Futurity title and three major reserve championships on record, this was I C Hi Star’s limited age event competition debut. The Cat Ichi daughter, who Sigala purchased last November, had previously been shown at weekend events and came to the Breeder’s Invitational with a career total of $3,138. Woodys Wildest Cat, the reserve champion with Mandy Chisum, came to Tulsa with NCHA earnings of $211,616 and also won the Classic/Challenge Ltd Non-Pro.

Payouts for the Breeder’s Invitational Non-Pro Classic/Challenge champion and reserve champion were $15,346 and $12,533, respectively.

High Classed Hottie and Norda Berger won the Classic/Challenge Amateur championship, with Amanda Purdin reserve riding Divas On Time, while William Cook and Sho is claimed the Derby Amateur title.

Click here for complete details and for Derby results on Saturday.

Oxbow, sixth-place finisher as a 25-1 shot in the Kentucky Derby, cruised to an early lead to win the $1 million Preakness Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths, at 15-1, on Saturday. Kentucky Derby winner Orb, the odds on favorite, broke his impressive five-win streak to finish fourth. Itsmyluckyday and Mylute were second and third, respectively.

“I get paid to spoil dreams,” said Oxbow’s trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who realized his sixth Preakness and 15th Triple Crown wins with Oxbow’s victory at odss of 15-1.

It was the third Preakness win for Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, 50, whose last came aboard Point Given in 2001. Stevens returned to racing this past January, after a seven-year retirement during which he pursued an acting career.

“He was so right today,” said Stevens of Oxbow. “It reminded me of Winning Colors in the Derby.” Stevens won the 1988 Kentucky Derby on Winning Colors, trained by Lukas and one of only three fillies to ever win the Derby.

Oxbow also gave owner Calumet Farm its eighth Preakness win. The historic farm has also produced eight Kentucky Derby winners, including Triple Crown winners Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948).

Sired by Awesome Again, Oxbow was bred by Colts Neck Stables and purchased by Calumet for $250,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His biggest win prior to the Preakness came in the G3 LeComte Stakes at Fair Grounds in Jamuary. He also placed second by a head to stablemate Will Take Charge in the G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in March.

Oxbow, who now has a record 3 wins, one second, one third and $921,000 from 10 starts, was one of three Lukas entries in the nine-horse Preakness field. Will Take Charge finished seventh and Titletown Five was last.

Parker County in North Central Texas is named for her Uncle Isaac. Yet had it not been for her son, Comanche warrior Quanah Parker, Cynthia Ann Parker’s name might have been lost to history, along with countless other victims of brutality on the Western frontier.

When Quanah Parker appeared as part of the posse in the 1908 silent short The Bank Robbery, it was a pivotal moment for the fledgling movie industry and the beginning of America’s love affair with the bygone Western frontier. In his recently released book “The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend,” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Frankel connects the saga of Quanah Parker with the making one of Hollywood’s most iconic movies.

Directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, and released by Warner Bros. in 1956, The Searchers was based on Alan LeMay’s novel of the same title, inspired by the story of Quanah Parker’s mother, Cynthia Ann.

In 1836, nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker and four family members were abducted during a Comanche raid on their isolated pioneer stockade, in the newly created Republic of Texas. Five others, including Cynthia Ann’s father, uncle and grandfather were savagely killed and dismembered. Twenty-four years later, having assimilated Comanche culture and mothered three children by tribal chief Peta Nocona. Cynthia Ann was discovered by Texas Rangers, following the Battle of Pease River, and released to her uncle, Isaac Parker.

Terrified by her white “captors,” Cynthia Ann more than once attempted escape with her infant daughter Prairie Flower, before resigning herself to her fate. Despite well-meaning efforts by a succession of Parker family members who took her in, Cynthia Ann pined for her Indian family until her death in 1871.

“She was virtually a prisoner among her own loving kindred, but they did not realize it until it was too late,” said Isaac Parker.

The transition to the white man’s world was much easier for Cynthia Ann’s son, who had evaded capture until 1875. Practical, as well as savvy, Quanah Parker helped enforce reservation laws and negotiate peace with the few remaining renegade bands that remained on the High Plains. He also made friends and eventually became business partners with influential ranchers such as S.B. “Burk” Burnett, E.C. Sugg, and Dan Waggoner, and even won over Theodore Roosevelt, who invited him to participate in his 1904 inaugural parade.

Proud of his white blood, Quanah Parker tracked down his mother’s unmarked grave in 1910 and had her reburied near his home in Comanche County, Okla. According to his son-in-law, Aubrey Birdsong, at the reburial, Quanah Parker said, “I love my mother. I like white folks….When people die today, tomorrow, ten years, I want them be ready like my mother. Then we all lie together again.”

Quanah Parker died in February 1911 and was buried next to the grave of his mother and Prairie Flower. The funeral was attended by 1,200 people, evenly divided between Indians and whites. His headstone bears the inscription: “Resting Here Until Day Breaks and Shadows Fall and Darkness Disappears Is Quanah Parker Last Chief of the Comanches.”

Kentucky Derby winner Orb will be the horse to beat this Saturday in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. But Mylute, who followed Orb from the tail end of the pack through the back stretch and closed to finish fourth, could be a sentimental favorite for cutting horse fans, especially those from Texas.

Trained by Tom Amoss for GoldMark Farm, Mylute, was bred by long-time NCHA member Mike G. Rutherford, Houston, Tex., whose son, Mike Jr., 53, of Buda, Tex., is a well-known non-pro competitor.

“I was close to 30 when I started riding cutting horses,” said Rutherford Jr. “I traded a Thoroughbred mare for a cutting horse. Ann Riddle and my dad picked her out for me. He used to have cutters and has been looking at horses for so many years that I really trust him.”

One of Rutherford Sr.’s star homebreds, now a member of his Kentucky-based Manchester Farm broodmare band, is the Seattle Slew daughter Lakeway, winner of four Grade 1 stakes races: the Santa Anita Oaks, Mother Goose, Hollywood Oaks and Las Virgenes. Rutherford also bred Cara Rafaela, 2006 broodmare of the year and dam of Bernardini, world champion 3-year-old and 2006 Preakness winner over Barbaro, who suffered a fracture during the race that led to his untimely death.

Mike Rutherford Jr.’s first significant win came in 2000 aboard Dual Flo in the NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes. But 2008 proved a banner year for him as well, when he showed two 4-year-olds, Magnifi Cat and Smart Taz Trouble, as a finalist in seven limited age event finals, as well as 3-year-old Quite The Fat Cat, as a finalist in the NCHA Non-Pro Futurity.

In addition to her Texas connections through Rutherford, Mylute also carries the colors for her dam’s sire, 20-year-old Valid Expectations, the perennial leading sire in Texas. Valid Expectations stands at Lanes End Texas in Hempstead.

David Booth, Acton, Calif., captured the 2012 NCHA Western National Non-Pro Championships title on May 8, the last day of a week-long showdown in Reno, Nev. for 12 division titles. Tracy Barton won the open division on May 2 riding NRR Cat King Cole.

Booth, reserve champion of the 2012 Western Nationals $15,000 Novice Non-Pro division, made his winning run with 216.5 points aboard the 10-year-old High Brow Cat daughter Cat N Charm, and concluded his day with a fourth-place finish on Pure Redwhiteandblue in the $15,000 Novice Non-Pro division.

Theresa Gillock and Holly Jones tied for second in the Non-Pro finals with 215 points, respectively, on Gunna Getcha, by Playgun, and BLN Lucky Duck, by Blue Duck Okie. Jones, from Walla Walla, Wash., won last year’s $35,000 Non-Pro Western National Championship on BNL Lucky Duck, as well. Gillock, Las Vegas, Nev., placed third on Cat In White Nikes in last year’s $15,000 Novice Non-Pro division.

Check back here later today in “Results” for details on all Western National Championship division finalists.

Covered in mud from the heels of his rivals, Orb made his move, six horses wide, coming out of the backstretch. When he drove past the wire by 2 1/2 lengths, 18 horses followed in his wake, including the 16 he had passed on his way to win the $2 million Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4.

Trained by Shug McGauhey, ridden by Joel Rosario, and sent off as the 5-1 favorite, Orb covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2.02.80, on a sloppy track. It was the fifth consecutive win for the son of Malibu Moon and the first Derby win for both McGauhey and Rosario.

Golden Soul, at 34-1, finished second, while second-favorite Revolutionary, with 3-time Derby winner Calvin Borel aboard, placed third.

“I was so far behind, but he did it so easy,” said Rosario, who won the world’s richest race, the $10 million Dubai World Cup, six weeks ago on 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. “I let him be calm and relaxed. This guy today, it was all him.”

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Hall of Fame and Eclipse Award winning trainer McGauhey, who has saddled horses for Orb’s owner and breeder, Phipps Stable, since 1988.

It was 23-1 longshot Palace Malice, ridden by Derby veteran Mike Smith, who lead the charge down the backstretch with near record fractions of 22.57 and 45.33, and tired to finish twelfth. Palace Malice was one of five horses sent off by trainer Todd Pletcher, who also had four contenders in Friday’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks for fillies, including the winner, 38-1 longshot Princess of Sylmar.

The order of finish for the 2013 Kentucky Derby: Orb, Golden Soul, Revolutionary, Normandy Invasion, Mylute, Oxbow, Lines of Battle, Will Take Charge, Charming Kitten, Giant Finish, Overanalyze, Palace Malice, Java’s War, Verrazano, Itsmyluckyday, Frac Daddy, Vyjack, Falling Sky. Check here for pre-race details on individual entries.

Here is the field, listed in post position and with morning line odds, for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. The best odds for winning trainer? Todd Pletcher with five contenders, including morning line second-favorite Verrazano.

SCRATCHED
1 BLACK ONYX by Rock Hard Ten
Morning Line odds: 50-1
50 pts/Winner G3 Spiral Stakes
Career: 5s 3-1-0 – $407,810
Trainer: Kelly Breen
Rider: Joe Bravo
Owner: Sterling Racing

2 OXBOW by Awesome Again
Morning Line odds: 30-1
36 pts/Runnerup to Will Take Charge in G2 Rebel Stake
Career: 9s 2-1-1 – $383,500
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Rider: Gary Stevens – 3 Kentucky Derby wins
Owner: Calumet Farm
NOTE: Caught in traffic to place 5th in GI Arkansas Derby

3 REVOLUTIONARY by War Pass (deceased, 1st crop)
Morning Line odds: 10-1
110 pts/Winner of G2 Louisiana Derby and G3 Wither Stakes
Career: 6s 3-1-2 – $748,300
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Rider: Calvin Borel – 3 Kentucky Derby wins in last 6 years
Owner: WinStar Farm
NOTE:
Comes into Derby off of 3 consecutive wins

4 GOLDEN SOUL by Perfect Soul
Morning Line odds: 50-1
14 pts/4th G2 Louisiana Derby; 2nd G3 Lecomte
Career: 5s 1-2-0 – $117,400
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Rider: Robby Albarado
Owner: Charles Fipke
NOTE: Fipke also owns Java’s War

5 NORMANDY INVASION by Tapit
Morning Line odds: 12-1
44 pts/Runnerup by a neck in G1 Wood and by a nose in G2 Remsen
Career: 5s 1-2-0 – $300,240
Trainer: Chad Brown
Rider: Javier Casettano
Owner: Fox Hill Farms
NOTE: Closer

6 MYLUTE by Midnight Lute (1st crop)
Morning Line odds: 15-1
42 pts/Runnerup by a neck to Revolutionary in G2 Louisiana Derby
Career: 9s 2-3-2 – $417,695
Trainer: Tom Amoss
Rider: Rosie Napravnik
Owner: GoldMark Farm
NOTE: Napravnik will be just the fifth woman to ever ride in the Kentucky Derby

7 GIANT FINISH by Frost Giant (1st crop)
Morning Line odds: 50-1
10 pts/3rd G3 Spiral Stakes
Career: 5s 2-1-1 – $133,050
Trainer: Tony Dutrow
Rider: Jose Espinoza
Owner: Sunrise Stables

8 GOLDENCENTS by Into Mischief (1st crop sire)
Morning Line odds: 5-1
129 pts/Winner of G1 Santa Anita Derby and G3 Sham Stakes
Career: 6s 4-1-0 – $1,250,000
Trainer: Doug O’Neil – won Kentucky Derby in 2012 with I’ll Have Another
Rider: Kevin Krigger -Goldencents’ regular rider in all 6 starts
Owner: W.C. Racing, Dave Kenney, and RAP Racing
NOTE: 9 Santa Anita Derby winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, including I’ll Have Another

9 OVERANALYZE by Dixie Union
Morning Line odds: 15-1
110 pts/Winner G1 Arkansas Derby and G2 Remsen Stakes
Career: 7 s 4-0-1 – $956,381
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Rider: Rafael Bejarano
Owner: Repole Stable
NOTE: Ridden by Bejarano in Arknsas Derby win

10 PALACE MALICE by Curlin (1st crop)
Morning Line odds: 20-1
50 pts/Runnerup by a neck to Java’s War in G1 Blue Grass Stakes
Career: 6s 1-3-1 $262,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Rider: Mike Smith – won 2005 Kentucky Derby on Count Giacomo
Owner: Dogwood Stable
NOTE: Blinkers ON

11 LINES OF BATTLE by War Front
Morning Line odds: 30-1
100 pts/Won G2 UAE Derby
Career: 6s 3-1-0 – $1,276,204
Trainer: Aidan O’Bien
Rider: Jamie Moore
Owner: Joseph Allen; Mrs. John Magnier
NOTE: First-time Lazix; first start on dirt

12 ITSMYLUCKYDAY by Lawyer Ron (deceased, 2nd crop)
Morning Line odds: 15-1
50 pts/Winner G3 Holy Bull by 2 lengths
Career: 10s 5-2-0 – $625,600
Trainer: Eddie Plesa Jr
Rider: Elvis Trujillo
Owner: Trilogy Stables and Laurie Plesa
NOTE: Runnerup to Orb in GI Florida Derby; this is second start off layoff

13 FALLING SKY by Lion Heart
Morning Line odds: 50-1
30 pts/Winner G3 Sam Davis Stakes
Career: 6s 3-0-1 – $249,800
Trainer: John Terranova
Rider: Luis Saez
Owner: Newtown Stud, Covello and Bulger

14 VERRAZANO by More Than Ready
Morning Line odds: 4-1
150 pts/Winner of GI Wood Memorial and G2 Tampa Bay Derby
Career: 4s 4-0-0 (all at 3) – $861,300
Trainer: Todd Pletcher – won 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver
Rider: John Velazquez – won 2011 Kentucky Derby on Animal Kingdon
Owner: Let’s Go Stable, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith
NOTE: Verrazano has been ridden by Velazquez in all 4 starts

15 CHARMING KITTEN by Kitten’s Joy
Morning Line odds: 20-1
20 pts/3rd G1 Blue Grass Stakes
Career: 7s 2-2-2 – $257,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Rider: Edgar Prado
Owner: Ken and Sarah Ramsey
NOTE: First start on dirt

16 ORB by Malibu Moon
Morning Line odds: 7-2
150 pts/Winner of G1 Florida Derby and G2 Fountain of Youth
Career: 7s 4-0-1 – $921,050
Trainer: Shug McGaughy
Rider: Joel Rosario (4th in 2010, in 1st Derby ride)
Owner: Stuart Janney III; Phipps Stable
NOTE: John Velazquez rode Orb in colt’s 2 graded stakes wins

17 WILL TAKE CHARGE by Unbridled’s Song
Morning Line odds: 20-1
60 pts/Winner of G2 Rebel Stakes
Career: 7s 3-1-0 – $545,371
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas – 4 Kentucky Derby winners
Rider: John Court
Owner: Willis Horton
NOTE: Starting off of 49-day layoff

18 FRAC DADDY by Scat Daddy (2nd crop)
Morning Line odds: 50-1
44 pts/Runnerup to Overanalyze in G1 Arkansas Derby
Career: 6 s 1-3-0 – $270,596
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Rider: Victor Lebron
Owner: Magic City Partners
NOTE: Game duel as runnerup by a nose in GII Kentucky Jockey Club

19 JAVA’S WAR by War Pass (deceased, 1st crop)
Morning Line odds: 15-1
122 pts/Winner of the GI Blue Grass Stakes
Career: 7s 5-1-1 – $561,772
Trainer: Kenny McPeek – 2nd in 1995 Kentucky Derby with Tejano Run
Rider: Julien Leparoux
Owner: Charles Fipke
NOTE: Runnerup to Verrazano in the GII Tampa Bay Derby

20 VYJACK by Into Mischief (1st crop sire)
Morning Line odds: 15-1
70 pts/Winner of G3 Gotham Stakes; 3rd G1 Wood Memorial
Career: 4s 4-0-0 – $397,200
Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez
Rider: Garrett Gomez
Owner: Pick Six Racing

SCRATCHED
21 FEAR THE KITTEN by Kitten’s Joy
Morning Line odds: 50-1
10 pts/2nd G3 Southwest Stakes
Career: 7 2-1-1 – $160,715
Trainer: Michael Maker
Rider: Alan Garcia
Owner: Frank Irwin