The OH Derby – Grade III

1 1/8 Miles Dirt Graded Stake Purse $500.00 Three-Year-Olds. At TDN

The OH Derby is a tough race to handicap this year due to the youth of the field and some oddities of the entries. I divide the race into three categories: Tried and True, Up and Comers and Oddities. Let me say right off, I’m far from sure where the winner is coming from. My handicap says Tried and True Decima Tech with his win in the Peter Pan figures to be the winner. Right behind him is another tried and True Knowing Spirit which is racing top drawer for his new owners. I think a strong factor in this race will be Petit A Petit which I would label an Up and Comer in spite of a couple of spectacular runs just before the Derby. Then there are Up and Comers Punjabi and People Batty although People Batty may be more tried with eleven races to Punjabi’s five and the best finish in the KYD of any in this race. Even though the other five entries are handicapped below those, there is a lot of fire there. The two Oddities from Mb Stables jump out, parked together in posts one and two, American Mischief boasts back-to-back wins directly after gelding that was applied the day he ran third as the favourite. Chance To Pounce is a one race maiden which ran last in that race which also has a 1:36 3/5H mile work to support the idea that a maiden might win this race. Cherokee Monster is almost Tried and True, but the true part is weak due to deep closer inconsistencies. If his timing is right, he’ll be one heck of an Up and Comer. Its A Wonderful Life is almost an Oddity as he is making his stakes debut in a graded stakes race, but he’s never been worse than second in his four starts. Finally, Liams Map was well on his way to Tried and True when he stumbled over the BG Stakes. He’s got an allowance race since then, so he’s an Up and Comer. Here’s the field:

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Decima Tech                       The Sidley Stud                 *3-1        97

Knowing Spirit                   Ajm Stables                         4-1        93

Petit A Petit                        Jerry Garcia Racing            3-1        91

Punjabi                               Winning Link Stables          5-1        94

People Batty                       Night Rider Stables             6-1        94

Cherokee Monster              The Sidley Stud                  8-1        92

Liams Map                           D J C Racing Stables         6-1        91

Its A Wonderful Life            TwinTowersRacing             8-1        91

American Mischief             Mb Stables                         6-1        86

Chance To Pounce             Mb Stables                         8-1        81

1  American Mischief                    Mb Stables                     86

I’m sure I have American Mischief placed wrong because of the stable, but Dan thought enough of this horse that he sent him to the $150.00 Swale Stakes at GP where he came home fourth. Another losing race and he was promptly gelded, and two wins followed. Now, I’m not saying the gelding had anything to do with the wins, but there are plenty who will and bet and argue accordingly.

2  Chance To Pounce                      Mb Stables             81   

Placed Chance To Pounce wrong also. Same reason, only look at the real reason Dan made this his “other” horse in here. A maiden from TUP which ran last in his only race at that track? Well, take a look at those works, particularly that most recent mile work at AQU: 1:36 3/5H. That’s faster than most three-year-old stakes winners. Zoom.

3  Petit A Petit                        Jerry Garcia Racing                91

I understand Petit A Petit’s owner is particularly high on this gelding’s chances even though he got jostled toward the back in the Prk after forcing the pace early. The race leading up to that was a gem as he won the rich Grade II Day Mile Stakes at CD in sharp fashion.

4   Its A Wonderful Life                       TwinTowersRacing                     91

Just four races for promising Its A Wonderful Life which ran second in two maidens before winning a nicely priced maiden at SA. He came right back to win an allowance race at SA, and here he is with fresh hope and the most noticed sire of the year.

5   Knowing Spirit                Ajm Stables                     93

Of the TC refugees in this race, Knowing Spirit had perhaps the best performance in those races with his deep closing sixth in the KYD. That race and his only other race for his new owner, a spectacular deep close victory in the Grade III Ruby Stakes KYD qualifier at TP, must have the stable delighted and thinking Classic thoughts.

6   Liams Map                    D J C Racing Stables                    91

Liams Map looked to be coming into his own with a courageous fourth in the $500.00 VA Derby, but then had a terrible go of it in the Grade I BG Stakes at KEE. A little time off to train and a winning allowance race at MTH and he’s back to take on the big kids.

7   Decima Tech                       The Sidley Stud                     97

Decima Tech didn’t fare well in the early KYD qualification trials, so took life easy coming up to Derby Week and put on his own sophomore show a week after the KYD in the AQU mud winning the Grade III Peter Pan and stamping himself probably the best three-year-old in training right now.

8   Punjabi                       Winning Link Stables                        94

Lightly raced Punjabi tried one KYD qualifier, The Grade III Lexington, with poor results, his trainer decided to skip the TC series altogether and challenge the $100.00 Sir Barton Stakes at LRL in which he ran a promising third.

9   People Batty                          Night Rider Stables              94

After earning his way into the KYD early with a victory in the Grade II LA Futurity, People Batty backed that win up with a front running second in the Grade II Risen Star Stakes and a similarly run fourth in the Grade I AR Derby. His run in the KYD was actually better than Knowing Spirit’s position as People Batty finished fifth in the Derby, but then he went on into the Prk where he looked tired finishing in ninth. I’m afraid is another race too soon.

10   Cherokee Monster                 TwinTowersRacing               92

Cherokee Monster looked brilliant running second in the Grade I AR Derby but got so far back in the Derby that what close he generated was hardly noticeable. Now we’re hoping for a return to previous form.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES