Surface change looking imminent for O'Kratos

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – O’Kratos became a graded stakes winner and recorded his second consecutive victory to start the Woodbine meet in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes on Tapeta back on May 13, but he may have to switch surfaces for his next start.

A lack of options for the Kentucky-bred 3-year-old on Tapeta at Woodbine is forcing trainer Darwin Banach to look at both turf and dirt alternatives.

“We would love to just keep him on the Tapeta and then we wouldn’t have to make any decisions to decide whether he’d like turf or not,” Banach said.

Banach said one option he is looking toward is the $100,000 Charlie Barley Stakes over one mile on turf at Woodbine on June 30. O’Kratos has run twice on turf, finishing seventh in his career debut on Aug. 27, and 11th in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 10. He breezed four furlongs under Eurico da Silva on the Woodbine turf training track on Sunday in 47.60 seconds.

“I suppose we’re still questioning his turf ability,” Banach said. “His first race here he ran on turf and I know he ran green and it was a big field. We threw that turf race out. In the Tampa turf race, he kind of had a little trouble in the first turn. We did work him on the turf [Sunday] morning. It was a little test to see what we thought of him on the turf and all Eurico told me is he felt like a feather on it.”

Banach said another option is the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on dirt at Thistledown on June 23.

“That’s definitely something we’re going to nominate for and have a little look at it,” he said. “It’s a nice little ship for us from here. We may even consider shipping down there 10 days or so early and working him over that surface and seeing if he likes it or not. If he doesn’t, we could always come back here for Plate Day and the Charlie Barley too. We’re looking at a few things, but nothing written in stone.”