Prospective defeats three in Ohio Derby

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John Oxley's Prospective notched his fourth stakes win of 2012, and fifth overall, with a 2 1/2-length score in Saturday's $100,000 Ohio Derby. Facing only three rivals after the scratch of Swage, the Mark Casse trainee seized control from pacesetter Politicallycorrect at the top of the stretch and drew off under Jermaine Bridgmohan. The 3-5 favorite returned $3.20 and $2.10 in a race which offered no show wagering.

Politicallyincorrect, the 3-2 second choice, attempted to wire the field after settintg fractions of :23 4/5, :48 3/5 and 1:12 2/5, but lacked the class to fend off Prospective, who tracked in third most of the way en route to completing 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42 4/5. Politicallyincorrect finished 8 3/4 lengths clear of Z Rockstar in second, with Defiant Flyer trailing the field 8 1/2 lengths farther back.

"Looking at the field I had some concerns, especially about Wesley Ward's horse (Politicallycorrect)," Casse said. "He has a lot of class and I thought he'd maybe get an easy lead and it would be hard to catch him. Prospective is a fighter. Once he gets a clear path, he goes on.

"Mr. Oxley and I talked about it and we'll probably send him to the (Grade 2) Jim Dandy (on July 28). We think he'll prefer the track at Saratoga."

A maiden winner in his second start at Woodbine, Prospective next captured the Grade 3 Grey over the same track, but trailed a field of 13 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in his two-year-old finale.

First in the Pasco, second in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis, and first in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby to begin this term, he finished up the track in both the Grade 1 Blue Grass and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in his next two starts. He preceded this win with a successful return to Woodbine for the June 10 Victoria Park, which he won by 1 3/4 lengths as an odds-on choice. Prospective has now earned $600,235 from a line of 11-6-2-0.

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, Prospective was a $250,000 Fasig-Tipton August yearling. The son of Malibu Moon was produced by the stakes-winning Spirited Away, a daughter of Awesome Again.

Prospective's third dam was North Sider, the champion older mare of 1987. Also hailing from this family are Group 1 winner Amadeus Wolf and multiple Grade 2 winner Zanjero.

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