Wild and Wicked is Favorite for Ohio Derby

Wild and Wicked, despite having only two lifetime starts and none in stakes company, has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) at Thistledown. Preakness runner-up Midway Road is the second choice at 8-5.

Wild and Wicked, trained by Kenny McPeek, enters the contest with a perfect two-for-two record after breaking his maiden in April at Keeneland and winning an allownce race last month at Churhcill Downs.

The son of Wild Again worked five furlongs on Monday at Churchill Downs, getting the distance in 1:01. under jockey Shane Sellers, who will have the mount on Saturday.

Wild and Wicked will break from post six and is listed in the morning line at 7-5. The colt will be vanned to Thistledown from his Churchill Downs base on Thursday morning.

"He's coming up perfectly for the race," said McPeek, who conditions Wild and Wicked for Robert Randal. "I honestly believe he won't have any problems stepping up to stakes company off only a maiden and allowance race. He was really impressive in those events."

Midway Road, who is owned by William S. Farish and trained by Neil Howard, will break from post two under jockey Robby Albarado. The son of Jade Hunter breezed four furlongs in :47.60 on Tuesday at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Annie Finney in the irons. The work was the third fastest of 51 at that distance.

Howard vanned Midway Road to Thistledown on Wednesday.

"He was full of run in his last work a week ago," Howard said, pointing to the colt's 1:13.20 effort in a six-furlong drill on June 9. "Yes he was beaten almost 10 lengths by Funny Cide in the Preakness, but he got away slowly and then picked it up nicely thereafter. He was really flying on the rail at the finish."

Crowned King could prove trouble for both Midway Road and Wild and Wicked. The son of Barkerville finished fifth in the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) and was fourth in the Lone Star Derby (gr. III) before winning the USA Stakes on the turf at Lone Star Park.

"He had traffic problems in both races," said trainer Billy McKeever, who owns the colt in partnership with his brother David.

Crowned King worked four furlongs in :48 and galloped out another furlong in 1:01.1 at Louisiana Downs Saturday will gallop up to the race. Crowned King arrived at Thistledown Tuesday.

Under jockey Chandra Rennie, Crowned King will break from post four. He is listed at 6-1 in the morning line.

The field for Saturday's $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) includes:
1 -- Private City (Jean Luc Samyn, 8/1)
2 -- Midway Road (Robby Albarado, 8/5)
3 -- Hackendiffy (Michael Rowland, 15/1)
4 -- Crowned Kind (Chandra Rennie, 6/1)
5 -- On The Boarder (Lonnie Meche, 8/1)
6 -- Wild and Wicked (Shane Sellers, 7/5)
7 -- Misskarrythenews (Francisco Garcia, 50/1)