Kentucky Derby runners nominated to Ohio Derby
The Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby has attracted 30 nominations to the 84th renewal of the state’s richest and only graded Thoroughbred race, scheduled to run Saturday, June 23, at JACK Thistledown Racino. Nominations closed June 13.
The nominations represent some of the country’s most respected trainers, among them multiple Grade 1 winners Ian Wilkes, Kenny McPeek, Tom Amoss, Mark Casse, Jerry Hollendorfer, Peter Eurton, Kentucky Derby winner John Servis, and Steve Asmussen, winner of this year’s $16 million Pegasus World Cup.
Among horses nominated are two who contested this year’s Kentucky Derby: Amoss’s multiple graded stakes-placed Lone Sailor, who also ran in the Preakness Stakes, and multiple graded stakes winner Flameaway, trained by Casse. Others include graded stakes Kanthaka (Hollendorfer) and O’Kratos (Darwin Banach); graded stakes-placed Core Beliefs (Eurton) and Dream Baby Dream (Asmussen); and stakes winners Trigger Warning (Mike Rone), Diamond King (Servis), Magicalmeister (James K. Chapman) and Tap Daddy and Reride (Asmussen).
Positioned three weeks before the Indiana Derby (G3), five weeks before the Jim Dandy (G2) and Haskell Invitational (G1) and six weeks before the West Virginia Derby (G3), the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby is well timed to launch the summer campaigns of sophomores in the hunt for graded wins.
Last year’s Ohio Derby winner, Irap, added the Indiana Derby (G3) to his resume in his next start before finishing third and second in consecutive Grade 1 races, respectively the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby. Last year’s runner-up, Girvin, earned his first Grade 1 trophy by taking the Haskell Invitational in his next start. The Ohio Derby show horse, Untrapped, was third in the Indiana Derby before counting his first graded win, the Oklahoma Derby (G3).
Entries for the Ohio Derby will be drawn Monday, June 18, with a maximum of 14 to start.
The racing office also will draw entries for two supporting undercard stakes, the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial, 1 1/8 miles for accredited Ohio foals 3 years old and up, and the black type J. Wm Petro Memorial Handicap, 1 1/16 miles for registered Ohio fillies and mares 3 years old and up.