Manitoba Derby now more interesting leg of big mandatory payout

The $125,000 Manitoba Derby went from chalky to a more attractive betting race when the local standout Mr Fillip wasn’t entered in the 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds. Mr Fillip has bigger fish to fry in the United Stakes, and Awesome Road could be the main beneficiary in the 76th running of Assiniboia’s marquee race on Monday night.

The Manitoba Derby goes as the seventh race at 10:05 p.m. and is part of a mandatory payout Jackpot Pick 5.

Awesome Road, the 7-5 morning line favorite in the nine-horse field, was a distant fifth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in November at Churchill and a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Feb. 3. He subsequently ran fourth and third in allowance company at Oaklawn and has been idle since a wide fifth in the May 27 Texas Derby at Lone Star.

Antonio Whitehall will ride Awesome Road, who’s making his first start for Mr Fillip’s trainer, Rick Wise. He shipped into Assiniboia Friday and Wise said he knows very little about the son of elite Kentucky sire Quality Road. Awesome Road was a $600,000 Keeneland yearling purchase.

Bricklayer is the 5-2 second choice with Luis Fuentes riding for trainer Larry Gourneau Jr.

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Bricklayer was claimed from a runner-up placing in a $30,000 maiden route June 7 at Churchill and returned to beat $50,000 maidens there going 1 1/16 miles three weeks later. He doubled up in a one-mile allowance most recently at Canterbury while earning a career-high 76 Beyer Speed Figure, which compares favorably with Awesome Road’s recent numbers.

Roussette (9-2) ships in from Colonial Downs off a fifth-place finish in an allowance route at Ellis Park. He beat $30,000 maidens the time before when going long on the dirt at Churchill. Mark Simms Jr. trains the Blame gelding.

Itsallgoodman (8-1) ships in from Alberta off a close second in his first route start in the Count Latham Stakes at Century Mile. He romped in back-to-back Alberta-bred stakes last fall for trainer Gonzalo Anderson.

Lt. Norm (12-1) finished six lengths behind a streaking Mr Fillip in second in the one-mile Derby Trial. After a busy winter campaign at Sunland and Turf Paradise, he graduated here in the May and won a seven-furlong allowance three starts ago for trainer Steve Keplin Jr.

Rounding out the lineup are longshots Lucky Appeal, Magnolia Speed, McEwen, and No Show No Call.

* There are two $50,000 stakes on the program, the Escape Clause and the Manitoba Mile.

* There’s a mandatory payout in the Jackpot Pick 5, which has a carryover of $444,576. The wager encompasses the last five races on the eight-race card. The late pick four has a guaranteed pool of $100,000.

* Post time is 7:30 p.m. Central.

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