Grade II winner Prospective figures to make his presence felt in the Ohio Derby (gr. III) Saturday, July 7, at Thistledown. The son of Malibu Moon owned by John C. Oxley is the only open stakes winner in the field of five and the only contestant with six-figure earnings. Not surprisingly, he is 3-5 on the morning line. He will break from the inside.
The 1 1/16-mile Ohio Derby, Ohio’s only graded stakes, is for 3-year-olds and will be run as Race 8. Post time is 5:32 p.m.
Prospective enters the race off a 1 3/4-length win in the Victoria Park Stakes at Woodbine June 10, his first start since finishing 18th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). He sports three other added-money wins--in the Grey Stakes (Can-III) at 2 and in this year’s Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) and Pasco Stakes.
With $535,235 in career earnings, Prospective is far and away the leading money winner in the field and will carry top weight of 124 pounds. Jermaine Bridgmohan will ride for the first time. Mark Casse trains.
Politicallycorrect is next in line at 3-1 odds. The son of Kitten's Joy owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey didn’t care for the Polytrack at Keeneland when he was 12th in the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) in April, but he found the Belmont Park dirt more to his liking in the Easy Goer Stakes June 9 in his last start. Politicallycorrect finished third behind Teeth of the Dog, who went on to win the Dwyer Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont June 30. Elvis Trujillo rides for trainer Wesley Ward.
Trainer Donnie Von Hemel, who won last year’s Ohio Derby with Caleb's Posse , returns to this year’s contest with Z Rockstar, most recently third in the Prairie Mile Stakes at Prairie Meadows June 2. Z Rockstar has an Oaklawn Park allowance win at 1 1/16 miles. By Rockport Harbor, Z Rockstar is owned by Robert H. Zoellner and will be ridden by Channing Hill. The gelding is 9-2 on the morning line.
Z Rockstar will break next to Swage, owned and trained by Von Hemel’s father, Nebraska Hall of Famer Don Von Hemel. Swage, 8-1 in the morning line, comes in to the Ohio Derby off two straight wins--a maiden special and a one-mile allowance--both at Prairie Meadows. Perry Compton will ride the son of Flatter again.
Defiant Flyer ships in to Thistledown off an uneven career in Chicago and westward. The son of Early Flyer campaigned by Double D Stables and Steve Lewis took the one-mile restricted Jim’s Orbit Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in February to begin his 3-year-old season but finished unplaced in his next three starts. He has the advantage of one of Thistledown’s most accomplished riders, Luis Gonzalez, and an earlier claiming win at the Ohio Derby distance.
$100,000 Ohio Derby (gr. III, Race 8, Post 5:32 p.m.) 3-Year-Olds, 1 1/16 Miles (Dirt)
Post Horse Jockey Weight Trainer Odds
1. Prospective J Bridgmohan 124 M Casse 3-5
2. Politicallycorrect E Trujillo 116 W Ward 3-1
3. Defiant Flyer L Gonzalez 120 L Davis 12-1
4. Z Rockstar C Hill 116 Donnie Von Hemel 9-2
5. Swage P Compton 116 Don Von Hemel 8-1