The promising Masqueparade, a later-blooming member of this 3-year-old class, showed that he is poised for a solid summer and fall campaign with a half-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. The colt led home the three graded stakes winners in the field - King Fury, Keepmeinmind, and Promise Keeper - with those top four separated by just more than a length. Masqueparade ($6.40) was sent away favored in the Ohio Derby off a dazzling 11 3/4-length allowance victory on the Kentucky Derby undercard last month at Churchill Downs. That was the first time the Upstart colt had crossed the wire first in a race, as he was previously promoted to the victory in a Fair Grounds maiden. "The timing was perfect," trainer Al Stall Jr. said of the Ohio Derby. "We knew he ran a super-strong number [Derby Day], we just wanted to give him time. We knew he was coming our way on a day-to-day basis - nothing we were doing, just Mother Nature. He's a big, strong colt - we figured a little bit more time to get over that race and get picked up for this race. He trained like a dream. ... He had to fight a little bit today against all the players ... who have run in better races. I think we acquitted ourselves very well today." :: DRF Bets players get free Daily Racing Form Past Performances and up to 5% weekly cashback. Click to learn more. Promise Keeper, winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont last out, broke well from his inside post and dueled with Hello Hot Rod for the lead through opening splits of 22.80 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.08 for the half, and 1:12.42 for six furlongs. By that point, Hello Hot Rod was fading; however, Masqueparade, with regular rider Miguel Mena in the irons, had been stalking those leaders in third and moved up alongside Promise Keeper's flank turning for home. Promise Keeper, once he had inherited the lead, refused to fold. Meanwhile, King Fury, who was making his first start since winning the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes in April after being forced to scratch from the Kentucky Derby due to a fever, and Keepmeinmind, an also-ran in both the Derby and Preakness, had been trailing the field down the backstretch, but were both rallying strongly down the middle of the track. Masqueparade found the measure of Promise Keeper in the final yards and edged clear for a half-length victory at the wire. King Fury came inside of Keepmeinmind to nose out that foe for second, with Promise Keeper another half-length back in fourth on the rail. "On the far turn, I jumped on [Promise Keeper]," Mena said. "He looked pretty good, so I jumped on him. We put him away. The other competitors came on the outside, and we held them off. He's a very nice horse." The final time for the 1 1/8 miles on the fast main track was 1:50.82. After the top four, it was five lengths back to Ethical Judgement, followed by Channel Fury, The Reds, Hello Hot Rod, and Hozier. Proxy and Falcons Fury were scratched.