Head to Head: Compare 2 perspectives on the Ohio Derby

Laurie

Ashley

1. Frizzante (15-1)

Fairly consistent as a sprinter-miler, Frizzante gets the chance to stretch out and move up in class. Vino Rosso’s son should handle the extra distance. But he’s a polite horse and lets others go first. In his second-to-last start, he ran in place down the stretch until the winner passed, and Frizzante picked up the pace to run with him. Although he has tactical speed, the Greg Sacco trainee’s Brisnet speed ratings are on the low side, and typical of his sire’s progeny, he has a grinding style rather than gears. Pass.   

Trained by Gregory Sacco, Frizzante has only one victory from nine career starts. He has hit the board five other times, including finishing third on the turf two starts back, beaten by one length, and losing by a nose last out to earn a career-high 83 Equibase speed figure. He was beaten by much weaker than he’ll see here, his foray into stakes company, and Sacco is 0 percent with a 38 percent in-the-money clip in all stakes during the last year, according to Race Lens. Isaac Castillo has the call for the first time on this gelding. Pass.

2. Gould's Gold (5-1)

Gould's Gold is an improving colt. He was given time to mature after two nondescript off-the-board finishes last year and rewarded his connections with a victory in his 3-year-old debut. He regressed a little after that victory, typical of a lightly raced horse stepping up in class, adding distance and facing winners for the first time. Still, he didn’t embarrass himself against more seasoned competitors. The Ken McPeek trainee dropped into state-bred stakes in the Sir Barton and made a reasonable effort. He lost focus for a moment in the stretch, giving Corporate Power a chance to get by, but to his credit, the pretty gray Gould's Gold came back late. Gould's Gold earned a career-best 91 speed rating for the effort and could take another step forward in his second attempt at 1 1/8 miles. Gould's Gold trained with Mystik Dan on June 1, staying with him until Dan said bye-bye in the stretch. Gould's Gold returned to work a bullet four furlongs in 48.3, his second-to-last work. For the curious and the pedigree geeks, Gould's Gold inherited his steel gray coloring from his second damsire, Cozzene, who passed it to his daughter Kentucky Oaks runner-up Real Cozzy, who passed it to her Gould's Gold’s dam, Goose Martini. Worth an exotics look.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Gould’s Gold broke his maiden in his third start after moving from Kentucky to Arkansas. He won a six-furlong maiden race by a head in his third start. Then he was third, beaten by four lengths, next out in the 1 1/8-mile, the Bathhouse Row Stakes, followed by a loss by a nose after having the lead in the stretch last out in the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico. He earned a career-best 103 Equibase speed figure for that effort. His one turf effort aside, the colt’s speed figures have progressed. Brian Hernandez Jr., who was aboard for Gould’s Gold’s best two races, has the return call. Exotics.

3. Charleston (30-1)

Still a maiden, Charleston makes his first start for Michael Rone after being claimed away from Brad Cox by Jinks Fires. So now Tapiture’s son adds distance and blinkers and jumps back into graded company. I understand the hopefulness since Charleston has a pretty good pedigree. His half-brother is stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Conquest Mo Money; his third dam Passing Mood gave us Champion With Approval and Belmont hero Touch Gold. Despite this, Charleston might find his niche in the high maiden claiming ranks. Pass.

Now trained by Michael Rone, there is not much to say about Charleston. As a southerner and huge fan of Tapiture, I have a soft spot for this colt, but that won’t cash tickets. In his six career starts, he’s been beaten by a total of 63 3/4-lengths, including a 22-length thumping two starts back in the Southwest (G3). Rone is 14 percent with a 29 percent in-the-money rate with runners first off a trainer switch, has not had a starter in a graded stakes and is just 15 percent with a 60 percent in-the-money rate with blinkers added back on over the past five years, according to Race Lens. Luis Raul Rivera has the call. Pass.

4. Copper Tax (7-2)

Copper Tax takes another shot at a graded stakes after capturing two lesser stakes at Laurel Park. Both starts were away from the mid-Atlantic circuit, so was it the class of the contenders or is this Gary Capuano trainee a homeboy? Copper Tax overcame trouble in the Federico Tesio Stakes. He took a nosedive when the gate opened, was bumped out seven wide on the first turn and six wide on the second, then bumped a few times down the stretch. Copper Tax made a sustained drive through much of the race in his usual grinding style and won by 3/4 length, getting his final furlong in 13.46. Although Copper Tax’s Brisnet ratings are in the low to mid-90s, I’ll let him prove that he can win away from home. Pass.

Trained by Gary Capuano, Copper Tax enters on a two-race win streak: the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms Stakes and the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes, both at Laurel Park. The handsome chestnut has missed the exacta just twice in his 10-race career, both in road to the Kentucky Derby races. He was sixth in the Remsen (G2) and 10th in the Sam F. Davis (G3). The cut in class did him good after those two races, and the increase in confidence is sure to boost his esteem heading into his third attempt at graded company. Capuano is 0 percent with a 27 percent in-the-money clip in graded stakes over the last five years, according to Race Lens. J. G. Torrealba has the return call. Exotics.

5. Uncle Heavy (6-1)

Uncle Heavy returns to the Grade 3 ranks after two dismal starts at higher levels. But he broke slow in the Wood Memorial (G2) and had a wide trip, gaining ground to finish fifth. This was after he missed workouts while stuck in quarantine on a farm for three weeks because an equine herpesvirus outbreak at Belmont and could not ship back to his home track of Parx. He doesn’t have much speed; he graduated in a six-furlong contest at Parx in 1:13.3 and has never finished his final furlong in less than 13 seconds. But the Butch Reid trainee settles in mid-pack or farther back, and the drop in class should help. Exotics.

Trained by Robert Reid Jr., Uncle Heavy takes a sharp drop in class after finishing fifth in the Wood Memorial (G2) and sixth in the Preakness in his last two starts. The colt was a debut winner but finished fifth in the state-bred Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes. He rebounded to win the state-bred, Wait For It Stakes at Parx and the Withers (G3) with a career-best 95 Equibase speed figure. But his speed figures have declined in his last two starts. Uncle Heavy either wins or fails to hit the board altogether. Mychel Sanchez takes back over from Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode the colt in the Preakness. Pass.

6. Deposition (12-1)

Upon examining Deposition’s past performances, I discovered he won a maiden race at Parx, took an unfortunate detour into stakes company for five starts and then won an optional claimer at Delaware. His high knee action and pedigree suggest Constitution’s son may show signs of life if he’s switched to all-weather or turf. Deposition’s half-sister and dam won on Tapeta, and his second dam, Country Star, won a pair of Grade 1s on Synthetic and a Grade 2 on turf. Additionally, Deposition’s damsire Dubawi is a European multiple Group 1 winner, and second damsire Empire Maker was a good turf sire. Pass.

Trained by Uriah St. Lewis, Deposition fell and was vanned off in the Wood Memorial (G2) in April. He returned in the Sir Barton, where he was steadied into the first turn and failed to be any factor in the race. St. Lewis dropped him into a non-winners of two lifetime last out, and the colt responded with a win. His best Equibase speed figure was the 90 he earned in the Withers (G3) when finishing fourth, beaten by three lengths by Uncle Heavy. Regular rider Dexter Haddock has the call. St. Lewis is just 6 percent with a 17 percent in-the-money rate in graded stakes over the last five years, according to Race Lens. Pass.

7. Who's the King (20-1)

Who's the King is an interesting entry. His stablemate Batucada is 12-1 on the morning line for the Lady Jacqueline Stakes preceding the Ohio Derby. Like many of Saffie Joseph Jr.’s charges, Who's the King showed remarkable improvement by winning a $50,000 maiden claiming race by 7 1/4 lengths, geared down in his first start off the claim and switching to dirt. Draw a line through Who's the King’s last start, a starter allowance at Churchill. Breaking from the rail, he was in a tight spot around the turn, steadied hard and was very keen in traffic. He folded like a $2 lawn chair down the stretch and faded to sixth, 8 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Live lower exacta long shot.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Who’s the King is an odd one. He failed abysmally in his debut on the dirt for Mark Casse then ran everywhere from well to terribly on Tapeta. In his first start for Joseph, Who’s the King ran decently on the turf before finally getting his picture taken when switching back to dirt in a maiden optional claimer. He then was sixth last out in a starter allowance. Rocco Bowen gets the call for the first time. Pass.

8. Catching Freedom (9-5)

Catching Freedom returns after a fast-closing third in the Preakness. He’s the only one in the field with triple-digit Brisnet ratings and is the class of the field. Previous Triple Crown contenders have been successful in the Ohio Derby, and this is a big step down in competition for Catching Freedom. Contender.

Trained by Brad Cox, Catching Freedom is the class of the race. The Louisiana Derby (G2) hero was fourth in the Kentucky Derby, beaten by just 1 3/4 lengths, and third in the Preakness, beaten by 2 ½-lengths. The colt has a career and field-best 107 Equibase speed figure. The obvious concern here, however, is just how much did the Kentucky Derby and Preakness take out of this colt? Even if he does bounce, this should be enough of a class drop to still see him do well. Luis Saez will get the leg up from Cox. Contender.

9. Batten Down (8-1)

Royally bred Batten Down makes his stakes debut after destroying a so-so group of maidens at Churchill by 8 3/4 lengths, earning a career-best 97 Brisnet rating. The Bill Mott trainee traveled 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.49, with a final quarter in 25.23. Not that it means much because track surfaces can change daily, but four days later, Mystik Dan’s time was 2:03.34 with a 25.88 final quarter. Tacitus and Grade 3 winner Scylla’s little brother does his best work on the front end. Contender.

Trained by Bill Mott, Batten Down enters this spot off a maiden win. It took the regally bred colt four attempts to get his picture taken, and his worst effort came in his debut, which was just seven furlongs. Once Mott stretched Batten Down out around two turns, the colt was second by a neck at 1 1/8 miles, third by a half-length at 1 1/16 miles, and a winner at 1 1/4 miles. His two best races came when he was on the lead, and his Equibase speed figures have progressed, though his highest number is only an 88. Junior Alvarado retains the mount. Live long shot.

10. Mugatu (12-1)

Mugatu didn’t have enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby, so he pointed for the Preakness, where he was eased and walked off. I really wish they’d give this poor guy a rest or a second career. He’s entered the starting gate 10 times in eight months, with one win and two third-place finishes. Pass.   

Trained by Jeff Engler, Mugatu is the most experienced runner in the field with 13 starts under his girth. Like Catching Freedom, he exits the Preakness in which he was eased and walked off. Mugatu has only three starts on traditional dirt and failed to hit the board in all of them. Engler is 0 percent across the board with both blinkers off and in stakes races over the past year, according to Race Lens. Ramon Vazquez gets the leg up for the first time. Pass.