Desormeaux likes Sorry Erik's chances in Ohio Derby

The 83rd running of the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) Saturday at JACK Thistledown Racino drew nine 3 year olds, and Sorry Erik will break right from the middle of the field.

 

Trainer Keith Desormeaux had liked Sorry Erik since spotting him in the Del Mar paddock in his 2-year-old season. When the colt became available to claim at Santa Anita in the first start of his 3-year-old year, a race he won by five lengths, Desormeaux took him for Matt Bryan’s Big Chief Racing. A month later, February 2, the son of Wilburn won his first start for Desormeaux, an optional allowance mile also at Santa Anita.

 

“I liked him back in summer when I saw him at Del Mar, but then I couldn’t get my hands on him because (previous trainer Doug O’Neill) was running him in starters and stakes,” Desormeaux said. “Then when he dropped in for $20,000, I was skeptical. Usually when you claim at that price you don’t expect to get this kind of horse. We’re over the moon about him, think very highly of him. He’s been putting in beautiful works.”

 

In his most recent work, June 17 at Santa Anita, Sorry Erik went five furlongs in 1:01.20, handily.

 

In the fourth of his six starts as a 2-year-old, Sorry Erik ran poorly in the one-mile Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita, his first start on turf. In his second turf effort, also his most recent race, he finished second, beaten just 1 1/4 lengths in an optional allowance at the same track. That May 18 effort told Desormeaux something about his colt.

 

“I was happy with his last race, because he had run on the turf before without success but in his last race he put up his best numbers on a surface he doesn’t really like,” Desormeaux said.

 

Desormeaux also was pleased with Sorry Erik’s effort two starts back in the Louisiana Derby (G2), when he finished fifth behind Girvin despite a rocky start and wide trip.

 

Desormeaux’s brother, Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, has been aboard for Sorry Erik’s last three races and has the mount again Saturday. Assistant trainer Julie Clark will saddle Sorry Erik on Saturday.

 

Sorry Erik flew into Lexington from California Tuesday and was vanned up to Thistledown the same day. How he recovers from the long day of travel will be the most telling factor in his performance on Saturday, Desormeaux said.

 

 

The George Lewis Memorial Stakes, 1 1/8 miles for accredited Ohio foals 3 years old and up, has drawn seven, including two-time Ohio divisional champ Plain Ol’ Willard and last year’s accredited champion male Eightthehardway. 

 

The George Lewis Memorial will be the 46th career start for 7-year-old Plain Ol’ Willard, who won this race last year.  The race is his second start this year, following a June 3 sprint at Belterra Park in which he finished sixth. Noel Vigil has the mount for trainer Kathleen Lowry.

 

Eightthehardway was third in last year’s Lewis Memorial but has since beaten Plain Ol’ Willard twice in Ohio-bred stakes and outraced him, finishing second, in last year’s Governor’s Buckeye Cup won by 2016 Horse of the Year Mo Dont No. Eightthehardway is trained by Richard Vickers. Irwin Rosendo has the call.

 

Three-time Ohio divisional champ Justalittlesmoke headlines the J. Wm Petro Memorial Handicap, 1 1/16 miles for Ohio-bred fillies and mares 3 years old and up. Trained by Robert Gorham, Justalittlesmoke returned to racing May 20 after a seven-month layoff and blew away the competition by seven lengths. She won her second start of the year as well, setting all the pace to win the Michael G. Mackey Memorial-Angenora Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths. A top sprinter, she also has two wins and a second in three tries at the Petro distance. Regular rider T. D. Houghton will be back in the irons Saturday.

 

Dating back to April 2015, Justalittlesmoke has been beaten just five times in 15 starts. Two of those losses were to Petro rival Bold Cait, one at the Petro distance, one at six furlongs, and both in the mud. Bold Cait is trained by Eric Reed and will be ridden Saturday by regular rider Edgar Paucar.