The one-eyed Un Ojo will be making his first trip to Churchill Downs this Tuesday, in preparation for a shot at this year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. According to the Daily Racing Form, trainer Ricky Courville was pleased with the gelding's breeze on Saturday and believes he has successfully recovered from a tough trip in the April 2 Arkansas Derby.
“He's moving good right now,” Courville told DRF. “He worked really good. He galloped out really good and cooled out well. He's bouncing around the barn.”
A 3-year-old son of the late Laoban, Un Ojo earned 50 points toward the Kentucky Derby with his Feb. 26 victory in the G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. Returning to Hot Springs, Ark., for the G1 Arkansas Derby, Un Ojo finished eighth after he was bounced off the rail and banged up, requiring staples to close a cut in his shoulder.
Courville brought Un Ojo back to his home base at the Copper Crowne training center in Opelousas, La., to recover, and the gelding has done very well since the difficult race.
Owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Whispering Oaks Farm, Un Ojo was bred in New York by Southern Equine Stables. He is out of the A.P. Indy mare Risk A Chance, a multiple stakes-placed mare procured by Southern Equine for $40,000 from Chester and Mary Broman's breeding program at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed sale. Un Ojo was in utero during that sale.
The gelding lost his eye in paddock accident as a yearling, and was then brought along by Courville's son and assistant trainer, Clay Courville. Un Ojo broke his maiden in his second start at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., ran fourth in a stakes race at Delta, and was then shipped to New York to contest state-bred stakes races during his 2-year-old season. Conditioned by New York-based trainer Tony Dutrow for his next three starts, Un Ojo ran second in both the New York Stallion Series Stakes in December and the G3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 5.
Returned to Courville's care, Un Ojo posted a 74-1 upset in the G2 Rebel Stakes before his tough trip in the Arkansas Derby. Overall, the gelding has won two of his seven starts for earnings of $782,571.
Read more at the Daily Racing Form.
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