Mr. Z, Divining Rod head eight-horse Indiana Derby

Mr. Z became something of a punch line this spring, a glaring emblem of trainer D. Wayne Lukas’s relentless quest for Triple Crown glory, but after a 15-length drubbing in the Kentucky Derby and a 17-length thrashing in the Preakness, it was Mr. Z and Lukas who had the last laugh when Mr. Z scored a hard-fought win in the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 20. So, while Mr. Z surely was not a horse for the Kentucky Derby this year, he fits just fine in second-level derbies like the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby, for which he drew post 1 when entries for the race were taken Wednesday.

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Mr. Z, with Joe Bravo named to ride, is one of eight in the Indiana Derby, along with Divining Rod, Tiz Shea D, Alabaster, Bold Conquest, Island Town, Far Right, and Deliverance Day.

Mr. Z was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite over 5-2 Divining Rod, who finished third, narrowly beaten by Mr. Z, in the Ohio Derby. Island Town, the winner of the Matt Winn last out at Churchill, is listed as the 3-1 third choice.

Also on the Saturday card, first post 6:05 p.m. Eastern, is the Grade 2, $200,000 Indiana Oaks, which drew a competitive field of 11 fillies. There are four other six-figure stakes on the card, with post time for the local derby set for 9:41.