Ohio Derby contenders looking to bounce back
Rich Strike threw the 3-year-old picture into disarray with his massive upset in the Kentucky Derby, and the other legs of the Triple Crown went to different horses. With the Derby seven weeks in the rearview mirror, also-rans Tawny Port (seventh), Classic Causeway (11th), and White Abarrio (16th) look to get their second seasons off to a good start in the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on Saturday at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio, half an hour outside of Cleveland.
So far, seven horses have run back out of the Kentucky Derby, with three wins from eight combined starts, led by fifth-place Mo Donegal’s victory in the Belmont Stakes. Cyberknife (18th) won the Grade 3 Matt Winn. Happy Jack (14th) finished eighth in the Preakness, then won an allowance-level event last Sunday.
This second season will be crucial as the 3-year-old male championship is up for grabs. White Abarrio is one of seven different horses who have won the seven Grade 1 stakes for open 3-year-olds around two turns this spring, having taken the Florida Derby. Tawny Port and Classic Causeway are both graded stakes winners.
“It’s always in the back of your mind, obviously,” Clint Cornett, who campaigns White Abarrio with his brother Mark as C2 Racing, said of the championship. “But I think from our perspective, it’s about putting the horse in the right position and where you think he will be successful.”
Tawny Port did a fair bit of running to make the Kentucky Derby. After finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Risen Star, he was second in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Turfway’s Tapeta surface, with Rich Strike third. He ran back two weeks later to win the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes. In the Derby, his fifth start of the year, he was 14th through three-quarters, then improved his position before flattening out.
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Tawny Port has breezed five times since the Derby at Brad Cox’s Churchill Downs base, zipping a bullet five furlongs on June 12 before going another strong five furlongs last Sunday. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard for the first time in the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby.
White Abarrio won the Grade 3 Holy Bull with a stalking trip from second before coming from fifth to win the Florida Derby. He was wide in the Derby before fading late.
“We just felt coming out of that race, this would be a good spot to help him get a little confidence back,” Cornett said.
White Abarrio will be first-time Lasix in the Ohio Derby and have regular rider Tyler Gaffalione aboard. White Abarrio has worked four times since the Derby, all at Gulfstream Park for Saffie Joseph Jr. He has yet to win away from that track.
Classic Causeway was expected to attend the pace in the Derby after running on or near the lead to win the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis and Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, and setting the pace in the Florida Derby before retreating to 11th after possibly flipping his palate. However, he was a step slow away from the gate and was never involved.
Classic Causeway, who will be making his first start for trainer Ken McPeek, is drawn in the outside post in what should be a starting field of seven under Brian Hernandez Jr., and is likely to have company up front from Pineapple Man. The group of front-runners did get smaller when trainer Dallas Stewart said Thursday that Brigadier General would scratch in favor of targeting the Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby on July 9.
Grade 2-placed Ethereal Road was entered in the Kentucky Derby, but was scratched the day before the race – letting Rich Strike into the field – when trainer Wayne Lukas publically stated he was not content with the horse’s training. Lukas instead ran Ethereal Road in the Sir Barton on the Preakness undercard, and he made a five-wide move to sweep to the lead for a 4 3/4-length victory.
Ethereal Road was withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont early race week with a quarter crack in his right front hoof, which was repaired with wire and an acrylic patch. He turned in a five-furlong bullet work in his final prep for the Ohio Derby – similar to his last work before the Sir Barton.
Droppin G’s was fourth in the Matt Winn. Rounding out the field are Barese and Pineapple Man, both New York-breds trained by Mike Maker. In his only open-company start, Barese was fifth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial behind classic winners Mo Donegal and Early Voting.
The Ohio Derby is the last of 11 races on a card that begins at noon Eastern. It is supported by three undercard stakes, including the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline for open fillies and mares, which has drawn Grade 1 winner Maracuja and graded stakes winners Army Wife and Crazy Beautiful. The card also showcases the Ohio programs with the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup for statebred 3-year-olds and the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial Stakes for Ohio-accredited runners.