Mr. Z ends long losing streak in Ohio Derby
Critics kept insisting Mr. Z was a tired horse after he was trounced in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, extending his losing streak to 13 races since he won his career debut at Churchill Downs on June 28, 2014.
Lukas, however, felt compelled to give Mr. Z one more shot in the $500,000 Ohio Derby at ThistleDown.
“He’s such a tough horse,” Lukas said last week in Kentucky. “People will tell you he’s raced a lot, but hell, he wants to train. He’s dragging us around here every day.”
Lukas, a Hall of Fame trainer, was proven right when Mr. Z, under first-time rider Joe Bravo, outfought Tencendur and favored Divining Rod to narrowly win the 81st Ohio Derby on Saturday. His backers were rewarded with $15.60 for a $2 win ticket after he completed 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.60.
Mr. Z finished a nose in front of Tencendur, who was a head in front of Divining Rod. It was another 4 ¾ lengths back to War Story in fourth. The disappointment in the race was the Bob Baffert-trained Whiskey Ticket. Unbeaten in two starts, including the Illinois Derby, Whiskey Ticket was never in contention and finished last of eight.
Bravo made the trip from New Jersey to suburban Cleveland to ride Mr. Z, a son of Malibu Moon whose sale from Ahmed Zayat to Calumet Farm was brokered by Lukas between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
“I have wanted to ride this horse for a while,” Bravo said. “When D. Wayne Lukas wants to bring a horse to a big race, you’ve got to have faith.”
Mr. Z, 13th in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakess while beaten a combined 32 3/4 lengths, got away with setting soft fractions of 48.08 seconds and 1:11.66 in the Ohio Derby. But he was only a head in front of Divining Rod, the third-place finisher in the Preakness, after six furlongs and a head in front of Wood Memorial runner-up Tencendur, under Manny Franco, at the eighth pole.
Bravo said Mr. Z showed courage through the stretch run when Divining Rod and Tencendur came charging in a three-way battle to the wire.
"Top of the lane, the horses come to each side of this horse... he could have got beat today, but he just put his ears back and said 'Come on, jock, we're going to win today,' " Bravo said. “You can tell he wants to win. At that point, it’s all heart. Mr. Z’s a fighter.”
A caption in a previous version of this story misidentified the winner, Mr. Z, in the photo. Mr. Z is between horses. The runner-up Tencendur is the No. 6 horse.