Dr John H tries to stay perfect in Turf Paradise Derby

PHOENIX – The mantles of top 3-year-old male and female at Turf Paradise are up for grabs Saturday in the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby and the $30,000 Arizona Oaks.

The derby (race 7), at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, drew eight males, headed by the unbeaten Dr John H and the top three finishers from the Startac Stakes on turf here Jan. 26. The Oaks (race 4), at a mile on dirt, matches six fillies, including the first five finishers from the Jeff and Jack Coady Sr. Stakes on turf here Jan. 26.

Dr John H, a gelded son of Harbor the Gold owned by North American Thoroughbred Racing Co. and trained by Sandi Gann, has won both of his starts – a maiden race here Nov. 20 and the Lost in the Fog here Dec. 29. He led all the way in both races. Dr John H routes for the first time here.

Parking Permit, Senor Friday, and Prince Pierce were the first three under the wire in a blanket finish in the Startac, but Parking Permit came in, causing the other two to steady, and was disqualified to third. Parking Permit has run well on dirt, but the two times he crossed the wire first came on turf. He’s owned by Mohamad Khan and trained by Jim Brown.

Senor Friday, who was awarded the win in the Startac, is a two-time winner on dirt and should relish being back on this footing. It’s no surprise the gelding likes dirt, being a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. He’s owned by Charles Garvey and trained by Robertino Diodoro.

Prince Pierce, less than a length behind Senor Friday in the Startac, also is proven on dirt. He won his debut at Prairie Meadows on dirt last summer and has run second and third in two stakes on dirt. He is owned by Mark Breen and trained by Kevin Eikleberry.

The switch to dirt in the Arizona Oaks may favor Let Me Fly, who was fourth in the Jeff and Jack Coady Sr. Let Me Fly, a daughter of Ez Dreamer, is 8-2-4-0 on dirt.

Free My Soul rallied to win the Coady, and while she’s winless in four dirt tries, she has two seconds and one third on the surface. Stormy Music, just a neck behind Free My Soul in second in the Coady, ran second in a dirt sprint here Dec. 1.

The surface switch may play well for Dress Shopping. Third in the Coady, she romped by eight lengths on dirt at Canterbury Park last summer.