Lexington winner King Fury returns in Ohio Derby

Beyond the Triple Crown awaits the “second season” for 3-year-olds, with the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby one of the rich prizes on the schedule.

King Fury, forced to scratch from the Kentucky Derby on the eve of the race due to illness, returns in a field of 11 that also includes Keepmeinmind, who contested the Derby and Preakness; later-blooming graded stakes winner Promise Keeper; Hozier and Proxy, both regrouping after passing on the spring classics; and an intriguing new face in Masqueparade, who will be making his stakes debut.

The Ohio Derby headlines a marquee card on Saturday at Thistledown that also features a rich open stakes in the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline for fillies and mares. The 10-race program also includes the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup for statebred 3-year-olds; five allowance races, one of which has drawn reigning Ohio-bred horse of the year Esplanande; and two maiden special weights. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

King Fury won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 10 at Keeneland in his only start at 3, rallying to win by 2 3/4 lengths over a sloppy, sealed track. He was training forwardly into the Kentucky Derby, but spiked a temperature the day before the race. He had a brief vacation at trainer Ken McPeek’s Magdalena Farm in Lexington and then returned to steady training in Louisville, breezing five times in preparation for his return.

“He’s been doing super,” McPeek said. “We’re pretty excited about getting him back in a routine.”

In addition to King Fury, Promise Keeper and Keepmeinmind are graded stakes winners. Promise Keeper has won consecutive races at this 1 1/8-mile distance for Todd Pletcher, most recently the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.

Keepmeinmind was multiple Grade 1-placed last fall behind divisional leader Essential Quality before breaking through to win the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. He is winless in four starts this season, most recently finishing seventh in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness. He has worked sharply at Belmont since the Preakness, with trainer Robertino Diodoro and jockey David Cohen working on honing the colt’s gate skills. Keepmeinmind adds blinkers Saturday, and if he is more forwardly placed, he could join a crowded group up front, as stakes winner Hello Hot Rod and last-out allowance winners Ethical Judgement and Channel Fury are all likely to seek the lead. Such a scenario would suit King Fury.

“He’s steady as it goes, and I think you’ll see him coming late,” McPeek said. “That’s all out of our control.”

Proxy finished second in the Grade 3 Lecomte and Grade 2 Risen Star, then fourth in the Louisiana Derby and Lexington, prompting Michael Stidham to freshen the colt. He will take blinkers off and put cheek pieces on for this race.

Hozier was removed from classics consideration after a disappointing sixth in the Arkansas Derby; he most recently finished second by a head in the Sir Barton. The colt is making his first start for Rodolphe Brisset, who has taken over from Bob Baffert.

The wild card is Masqueparade, making his stakes debut for Al Stall Jr. The colt dazzled in a Derby Day allowance at 1 1/8 miles by 11 3/4 lengths. His Beyer Speed Figure of 97 is among the best in this field.

Proxy ran a 97 in the Risen Star and King Fury a careerbest 96 in the Lexington. Only Keepmeinmind and Promise Keeper have also reached 90.