Igniter dominates one-mile Ellis Park Derby
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To fly a horse from Belmont Park on Long Island to Ellis Park in northwestern Kentucky … well, you can’t really do it. Trainer Rick Dutrow wasn’t happy about it, but he had no choice when shipping Igniter from Belmont to Ellis with the only option a long, hot van ride last weekend. Dutrow gave his charge a relatively easy week after the demanding trip, and on Sunday, Igniter went out and dominated the $400,000 Ellis Park Derby.
Dutrow, almost entirely an East Coaster during his long career, won his first Ellis Park race, while Igniter won the biggest purse of his career by four lengths and first-place money of $244,000, more than Igniter had earned in his first seven races.
Igniter got a good trip stalking from second under Luis Saez, who made good on a first trip to Ellis this meet, winning three of Sunday’s six stakes. Pacesetting Spun D M C went a half-mile in 46.31, called it quits, and Igniter took over, but as he was forging to the front on the outside, Corona de Oro was getting a nifty rail run. Briefly, Corona de Oro went toe to toe with Igniter, but only briefly, Igniter drawing steadily clear through the final furlong for an easy win.
Corona de Oro held second by a half-length over late-running Stop the Car. Plutarch, the morning-line favorite, was scratched.
Igniter’s flat sixth last fall in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen convinced Dutrow that he had a one-turn horse on his hands, and Igniter made good on Dutrow’s theory that he best suited a one-mile trip. Igniter had plenty of speed to keep up and plenty of stamina to finish, getting his mile over a fast track in 1:35.56.
Igniter, who paid $4.10 as the favorite, now has won half his eight starts. Dutrow trains Igniter for the colt’s breeder, Three Chimneys Farm, and Igniter is by Volatile out of Malibu Prayer, by Malibu Moon. The trip back to New York won’t take any less time, but Dutrow has far less to worry about on the way home.
Cowboy Jones Stakes
Owen Almighty had not won a race since the Tampa Bay Derby in March 2025, nor had he led a race since the Tampa Bay Derby. Both streaks ended Sunday at Ellis. Owen Almighty bobbled at the start but quickly hit the front and never looked back in the $200,000 R. A. Cowboy Jones Stakes, notching a comfortable 1 1/4-length victory.
New York-based Luis Saez won his third stakes of the day, trainer Brian Lynch his second, and Owen Almighty won for the first time in eight starts.
This Is Uscar chased the leader the entire trip and finished second, a neck ahead of mildly closing Coal Battle. Owen Almighty clocked 1:34.49 for one mile on a fast track and paid $4.44 as the favorite.
Owen Almighty ran a strong final furlong finishing second last month in a fast renewal of the Hanshin, a one-turn Churchill Downs mile, and had more speed than any of his six foes going 1 1/2 turns in the Cowboy Jones.
Lynch trains Owen Almighty for Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing. The 4-year-old colt was bred in Kentucky by Mark Stanley and is by Speightstown out of Tempers Rising, by Bayern.
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