Todd Pletcher-trained Promise Keeper, winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park last out, faces of field of 10 other 3-year-olds including graded stakes winners King Fury and Keepmeinmind in Saturday's Grade 3 Ohio Derby at JACK Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio. The Ohio Derby, a 1 1/8-mile fixture first run in 1876, offers a $500,000 purse, with $300,000 going to the winner.
A Constitution colt out of a mare by Curlin, Promise Keeper was picking up his third career victory in five starts – all in 2021 – while winning the Peter Pan by 2 ¼ lengths over Nova Rags. Prior that initial stakes win, Promise Keeper romped to a 5 ½-length allowance victory at Keeneland on April 8 going 1 1/8 miles. He's been ridden in all of his starts by Luis Saez, who will be aboard and break from the No. 1 post on Saturday. Promise Keeper races for Woodford Thoroughbreds, Win Star Farm and Rock Ridge Racing.
Keepmeinmind recorded his only lifetime win in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last year for trainer Robertino Diodoro after finishing second in the G1 Breeders' Futurity and third in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, both at Keeneland. This year the Laoban colt has failed to hit the top three in four stakes, including a seventh-place finish in the G1 Kentucky Derby and a fourth in the G1 Preakness in his last out on May 15.
Diodoro is adding blinkers to the colt's equipment for his ninth career start in the Ohio Derby. David Cohen has been aboard Keepmeinmind for all of his starts and is back aboard on Saturday. He races for Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith and Spendthrift Farm and will break from the No. 8 post
Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury has finished behind Keepmeinmind in three races – the Breeders' Futurity, Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes – but the Curlin colt trained by Kenny McPeek put it all together in his 2021 debut, winning the G3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 10 by 2 ¾ lengths and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 96. King Fury was entered in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 but McPeek was forced to withdraw him when he came up with a fever.
King Fury returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs three weeks after the Derby, going a half-mile in :47.60 on May 22, and he's had a series of four works since then, including a quick five-furlong breeze in :58.60 on June 12.
“It took him a while to come around. He was pretty clogged up,” said McPeek. “I sent him to my farm for about 10 days. He had a chest full of congestion, but he's locked and loaded now. He's doing really well, but he's a horse that needs some pace in front of him.”
Corey Lanerie rides King Fury, who will break from the four post.
Godolphin homebred Proxy finished fourth behind King Fury in the Lexington but showed flashes of talent over the winter at Fair Grounds, finishing second in the G3 Lecomte (behind Midnight Bourbon) and G2 Risen Star (behind Mandaloun). He then ran fourth behind Hot Rod Charlie in the G2 Louisiana Derby. Trainer Michael Stidham tried blinkers in the Tapit colt's last two starts, but is removing them for the Ohio Derby. Joe Bravo will be aboard for the first time on Saturday and they will break from post nine.
Two horses who will be making their stakes debuts but have recorded impressive allowance victories are Masqueparade for trainer Al Stall and Ethical Judgment for Brendan Walsh.
Masqueparade, who earned his maiden diploma via disqualification at Fair Grounds on March 20, comes off an 11 ¾-length allowance victory at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day, May 1. Ridden by Miguel Mena, the Upstart colt pressed the pace and drew off impressively in the stretch, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. Mena rides back in the Ohio Derby, breaking from the 10 post.
Ethical Judgment also exits an allowance score at Churchill Downs, winning on May 9 by 3 ½ lengths in the slop in a race originally scheduled on turf. It was the Honor Code colt's second win from four starts, with two seconds. Martin Garcia will be aboard and break from the five post.
The complete field from the rail out: Promise Keeper, Luis Saez; Falcons Fury, Edgar Paucar; Hozier, Chris Landeros; King Fury, Corey Lanerie; Ethical Judgment, Martin Garcia; Hello Hot Rod, Francisco Arrieta; The Reds, Dylan Davis; Keepmeinmind, David Cohen; Proxy, Joe Bravo; Masqueparade, Miguel Mena; and Channel Fury, Luis Rivera.
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