Ohio Derby guide: Triple Crown alumni lead 10-horse field
Thistledown hosts the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby Saturday, and two veterans of the Triple Crown races are among the 10-horse field.
Chunk of Gold, a late-running wise-guy horse who finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby returns for trainer Ethan West. Steve Asmussen sends highly-regarded Preakness starter Clever Again to the race after his disappointing finish at Pimlico.
McAfee, second to Hill Road in the Peter Pan (G3), Mo Plex, winner of the Bay Shore, and improving maiden winner Master Controller are all approaching this race in good form as well.
The Ohio Derby is race 12 with a post time of 6:20 p.m. EDT. FanDuel TV will have coverage of Thistledown's Ohio Derby day card as part of its regular broadcast.
Free past performances for this and more top stakes are provided by Brisnet.
Here are the top lifetime speed figures the Ohio Derby entrants.
| Post | Horse | Beyer* | TFUS* | Brisnet | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brereton's Baytown | 78 | 106 | 88 | 101 |
| 2 | Chunk of Gold | 92 | 117 | 98 | 118 |
| 3 | Capo Luca | 79 | 100 | 92 | 118 |
| 4 | McAfee | 93 | 118 | 96 | 117 |
| 5 | Extradition | 71 | 94 | 86 | 105 |
| 6 | Clever Again | 101 | 116 | 99 | 124 |
| 7 | Bohemian Style | 66 | 84 | 75 | 104 |
| 8 | Curvino | 78 | 107 | 91 | 111 |
| 9 | Master Controller | 88 | 105 | 93 | 114 |
| 10 | Mo Plex | 88 | 113 | 94 | 122 |
*Beyer and TimeformUS speed figures are presented courtesy of Daily Racing Form.
Pace makes the race
TimeformUS projects a swift, pressured pace in the Ohio Derby with Clever Again and Mo Plex battling for the lead and Master Controller fighting for a piece of it, too. Bohemian Style, Brereton's Baytown and Capo Luca will chase the pace, with Chunk of Gold and McAfee taking up mid-pack spots. Curvino and Extradition will bring up the rear.
The hot pace should set up for the late runners like Chunk of Gold.
HRN handicappers
HRN's Ed DeRosa has fair odds for the Ohio Derby, where he is firmly against a horse who will probably take a lot of money.
"Why am I so against Chunk of Gold? I was expecting a move forward in the Kentucky Derby and it didn't happen," he said. "His is a great story and the connections are easy to root for, but I can't take a short price on a horse who did not develop in a spot where he was expected to."
See who he likes better and why.
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