Cypress Creek Equine's Un Ojo is on track to make his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. The nine-furlong Withers offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points on the road to the Kentucky Derby to the top-four finishers, respectively.
Trained by Tony Dutrow, the son of Laoban had his first work since his game effort in the Great White Way, breezing four furlongs in 49.13 seconds over Belmont Park's dirt training track on Friday in company with fellow Dutrow trainee Fair Haired Boy, a 5-year-old maiden winner.
“We had plenty of time between races, so we gave him a little bit of a break there immediately after the stakes and we're extremely happy with him,” Dutrow said. “If things keep going the way they are today, he'll be in the Withers.”
Un Ojo's second in the Great White Way was the first stakes placing of his career, fighting on valiantly with eventual winner Geno down the stretch to be defeated just a neck despite losing momentum when he was bumped by Geno at the sixteenth pole.
Dutrow said he is not concerned with Un Ojo's step up to the graded ranks for the first time.
“I think he'll manage it just fine. We're feeling very good about the distance and how the race is coming up,” said Dutrow. “His breeding says that the distance shouldn't be a problem. We are looking forward to it for sure.”
Other horses under consideration for the Withers include the top-three finishers of the Jerome – Courvoisier, Smarten Up and Cooke Creek – as well as maiden winner Constitutionlawyer.
Fromanothamutha G3 Gotham bound following maiden score
Trainer Ray Handal said recent maiden winner Fromanothamutha will target the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 5, a one-turn mile offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.
Fromanothamutha, a 3-year-old son of Unified, broke his maiden gate-to-wire Thursday by 4 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight under regular pilot Manny Franco, registering a career-best 87 Beyer.
Fromanothamutha entered Thursday's win from a distant seventh in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen, but kept salty company throughout the maiden ranks, finishing behind subsequent stakes-winner Chattalot in his July debut at Saratoga. He would go on to finish second in his fourth start to Mo Donegal – the eventual Remsen winner.
“He's just been knocking at the door,” Handal said. “He bounced out of the Remsen in good order. We were looking at this race and if he were to win, then the Gotham from there. He should handle the mile just fine and he's shown that he's pretty legit.”
Handal said Franco, who piloted Fromanothamutha for the first time in the Remsen, benefited from the race experience aboard the dark bay.
“Manny said he thought he might have put him to sleep a little bit in the Remsen. He was getting a little bit lackadaisical,” Handal said. “This time, he kept him going at task in a spot where he was happy.”
Owned by Handal in partnership with Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor and Peter M. Rinato, Fromanothamutha is out of the Aptitude mare Prevention. He was bought for $120,000 out of the 2021 OBS March Sale.
Handal has won 5-of-16 starts in 2022 heading into Sunday's card, all of which were at Aqueduct. In addition to Fromanothamutha, he scored with Constitutionlawyer, who is bound for the Grade 3 Withers. Other victories for Handal this year include Just Read It and maiden winners Ribot's Valentine and The Honorable Ruth.
“We just have to keep it rolling along,” Handal said. “We're just happy to have nice horses and patient owners. It's great for the whole team.”
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