Un Ojo, sent off at 75-1 odds, overcame limited vision and gave a stunning, career-defining performance to prevail in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2), a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) points race, Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
Un Ojo, whose name means “one eye” after the colt lost an eye in an accident as a yearling, stalked the early pace from third, then spurted up the rail to wrest the lead nearing the finish line from dueling front-runners Ethereal Road and Barber Road and score by a half-length.
Ethereal Road, the runner-up, is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who was seeking an Oaklawn stakes double after winning the Honeybee Stakes (G3) with Secret Oath earlier on the card. Barber Road held for third, a nose back. Odds-on favorite Newgrange was sixth in the field of 11 3-year-olds.
Un Ojo, a New York-bred Laoban gelding who came in off a runner-up finish in the Withers Stakes (G3) Feb. 5 at Aqueduct when overseen for trainer Ricky Courville by trainer Tony Dutrow, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.69. He earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, to run May 7 at Churchill Downs while notching his first stakes victory.
Ridden by Ramon Vasquez, Un Ojo was timed in 1:49.69 for 1 1/16 miles. The winner returned $152.
Courville said Un Ojo's next start was undecided at the moment, but the Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino (G1) April 9 at Aqueduct is under consideration.
Owned by Cypress Creek Equine, Un Ojo was bred by Southern Equine Stables from the A. P. Indy mare Risk a Chance. His career record stands at two wins from six starts. He broke his maiden last November at Delta Downs.
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