Rebel Stakes winner and Arkansas Derby runner-up Snuck In heads a field of 10 3-year-olds entered for the $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) Saturday at Thistledown. Snuck In, a Steven Asmussen trainee who finished fifth in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), will start from the extreme outside post under his regular rider Cash Asmussen. Snuck In ran in the Leonard Richard Stakes in his most recent start, finishing a disappointing fourth, for which the trainer takes responsibility. "I think I flat out underestimated how much those classic races take out of a horse," said Steven Asmussen. "I thought I could get away with one in the Richards and got caught short in my training. However, he has been working great and I expect a big effort from him this weekend."
Also starting in the 1 1/8-mile race is undefeated Brave Quest, a John Ward trainee who will be making his stakes debut after winning his first four career starts.
One day before entries were taken The Thoroughbred Corporation's Performing Magic was withdrawn from the field. Trainer Alex Hassinger Jr. said the Derby Trial Stakes and Illinois Derby winner "is not 100%. We need to regroup."
The field for the Ohio Derby, with jockeys, weights, and morning-line odds, will consist of:
1--Perfect Cat, John Velazquez, 113, 4-1
2--Milwaukee Brew, Michael McCarthy, 116, 9-2
3--Cielo Stellato, Ignacio Puglisi, 113, 12-1
4--Lake Austin, Heberto Castillo Jr., 113, 12-1
5--Miami Blase, Scott Spieth, 113, 15-1
6--Kiss a Native, Todd Kabel, 116, 6-1
7--Eli Lilliput, Lonnie Meche, 113, 15-1
8--Brave Quest, Jorge Chavez, 113, 6-1
9--Eagle Time, Jane Magrell, 113, 20-1
10--Snuck In, Cash Asmussen, 116, 5-2
