Flameaway heads Ohio Derby

The Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby regularly draws 3-yearolds launching their “second season” after a spring on the classics trail. While Justify became a household name with his Triple Crown sweep, some other familiar horses from that series headline the field for this year’s renewal of the Buckeye State’s richest race Saturday at Thistledown.

The versatile Flameaway won the Kitten’s Joy on turf, then switched to dirt and took the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis to start his sophomore campaign. He next finished second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes. He sat fourth, in perfect striking position, at the quarter pole in the Kentucky Derby, but faded to 13th on the sloppy, sealed track behind Justify.

“We just threw that one out,” said Mark Casse, who trains Flameaway for John Oxley. “The track was bad that day. We gave him a little break after that race, and he has trained really well since.”

Jose Lezcano, aboard Flameaway for all his starts this year, will remain in the irons as the 5-2 morning-line favorite breaks from post 2 in the field of 12.

“I like his post position for Saturday,” Casse said. “I think the horse to beat is Lone Sailor. I expect my horse to be fairly close” to the lead.

Lone Sailor was caught late by Noble Indy to finish second by a neck in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. He went on to finish eighth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness Stakes – also contested on a sloppy, sealed track – for GMB Racing and trainer Tom Amoss. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for the first time in the Preakness and retains the mount Saturday.

“It’s no secret how Lone Sailor is going to run,” Amoss said. “He’ll drop back and make his run. We’re hoping it sets up for a closer. We’re hoping the field holds together and looking for the speed to give him the proper setup.”

Grade 3-placed Diamond King won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel to earn his way into the Preakness, where he finished seventh in the colors of co-owner Cash Is King Stables.

“He came out good, very good,” trainer John Servis said. “He didn’t look any worse for wear. It was a big assignment for him, but we got through it. The winner was certainly no surprise.”

Frankie Pennington rode Diamond King for his first six starts before Javier Castellano took the reins for the Preakness. Pennington is back aboard the colt at Thistledown.

Core Beliefs finished third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby behind Justify and Bolt d’Oro, then was second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont for Peter Eurton. Dream Baby Dream also tackled graded prep company this spring, finishing second in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby for Steve Asmussen.

O’Kratos won the Grade 3 Marine Stakes at Woodbine last out, while Trigger Warning comes in off a victory in the Tom Ridge Stakes at Presque Isle. Both those races were contested on synthetic surfaces. Takedown and Title Ready are both stakes-placed, while Caloric, Last Drop of Wine, and Machismo round out the field.

The Ohio Derby anchors a 10-race program Saturday as Thistledown also cards the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial for Ohio-accredited Thoroughbreds and the $75,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap for Ohio-bred fillies and mares. The program is one of the highlights this season for Thistledown, which this October also hosts the Best of Ohio card. That event showcases statebred runners and rotates between the state’s Thoroughbred tracks.