Kentucky Derby: Un Ojo has staples removed, set for Saturday work
Kentucky Derby hopeful Un Ojo is scheduled to work Saturday in Louisiana, and if his connections are pleased with the move following his troubled Arkansas Derby run he will ship next week to Churchill Downs, trainer Ricky Courville said.
Un Ojo finished eighth in the Arkansas Derby on April 2 at Oaklawn after hitting the rail twice in an incident that led to having staples placed in a shoulder. The staples were removed Thursday, Courville said, and Un Ojo jogged both Friday and Saturday at his Copper Crowne training center base in Louisiana.
“He went back to the track Friday and he seems to be fine,” Courville said Monday. “It was a little superficial cut. He hit the fence twice, and he hit it hard enough to scrape the hair off, peel the skin back.”
Staples can promote quicker healing.
Prior to the Arkansas Derby, Un Ojo had already secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate with his fast-closing win up the rail in the Grade 1, $1 million Rebel in March at Oaklawn.
Courville said he wants to see how Un Ojo handles what will probably be an “easy” work Saturday. If he passes the test, Courville said he would have two more works at Churchill Downs in advance of the Kentucky Derby.
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Ramon Vazquez would have the mount in the Kentucky Derby, Courville said. The rider was aboard the one-eyed horse for both the Rebel and Arkansas Derby.
“He’ll come from way back,” Courville said of Un Ojo. “To me, the Derby this year, everybody’s got speed. He’ll run either way, but in the Derby we’ll probably let him settle back and see what happens.
“He can come running like he did in the Withers and pick up the pieces.”
Un Ojo closed from 11th for second to Early Voting in the Withers in February at Aqueduct, one start prior to the Rebel. Early Voting on Saturday returned to run second by a neck in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Un Ojo races for Cypress Creek Equine and Whispering Oaks Farm.
Barber Road, who was third in the Rebel and second in the Arkansas Derby, will ship this week to Churchill Downs, trainer John Ortiz said Monday.
Barber Road has remained at Ortiz’s barn at Oaklawn following the Arkansas Derby. He had a light week, according to the trainer.
“We didn’t want to make too many changes right after a big effort,” Ortiz said. “He’s heading back to Kentucky this week.”
Ortiz said the horse’s works up to the Kentucky Derby would come at Churchill. Barber Road is a winner over the main track in Louisville. He is owned by WSS Racing and is to be ridden by Reylu Gutierrez.
This year, the Arkansas Derby was held five weeks out from the Kentucky Derby compared to the traditional three weeks in a change to the Oaklawn stakes schedule.