One Go All Go connects at 35-1 in Commonwealth Derby

One Go All Go set a slow pace and never was caught, scoring a 35-1 upset of the Grade 2, $400,000 Commonwealth Derby on Saturday at Laurel Park.

Jockey Ronald Hisby doled out soft fractions rating One Go All Go on the lead in the nine-furlong turf race, which was notable because Hisby, a third-year rider, was competing in the first graded stakes of his career. One Go All Go is trained by Pavel Majteka, who has been training since 2005 but never had won a stakes race of any sort before the Commonwealth Derby. A former assistant to several trainers, Majteka is based at the Kentucky Training Center near Lexington and is the private trainer to One Go All Go’s owners, Preston Stables and Prestonwood Racing. One Go All Go was purchased by his current owners last fall.

One Go All Go paid $72.40, which doesn’t seem outrageous considering his obscure jockey and trainer, but was far higher than merited given the colt’s credentials. Last year at 2, One Go All Go was a close, troubled third in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity, and in his turf debut last month at Indiana Grand, he won a second-level allowance race while facing older horses, the performance earning a very competitive 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We went for the big one,” said Majteka.

One Go All Go and Hisby quickly seized the lead and set a slow pace of 24.49 seconds, 49.37, and 1:13.52 on a firm, fast-playing grass course. Force the Pass, the 2-5 favorite, broke slowly but established decent early position, and ranged up to challenge One Go All Go at the top of the stretch. But the longshot was undaunted, turning back the favorite’s run and holding firm to post a one-length victory. Fundamental, who rallied from the rear, knifed between horses to nab second from Force the Pass, who ran below his best form Saturday. Go Around, the 7-2 second choice, also had no late spark and checked in fifth.

One Go All Go was timed in 1:48.35 for 1 1/8 miles. One Go All Go is by Fairbanks and out of the Marquetry mare See Ashleigh Run, and was bred in Virginia by Albert Coppola.