Injury knocks Rebel winner out of Derby
Through a rival’s misfortune, Wayne Lukas is back in the Kentucky Derby.
A bruised left foot to Un Ojo affected the top two finishers of the Grade 2 $1 million Rebel Stakes Feb. 26 at Oaklawn with the 75-1 race winner out of Derby 148 Saturday and runner-up Ethereal Road qualifying.
The horse gained attention with his Rebel victory and because of his name, which is Spanish for “one-eyed.” Bred in New York by the deceased sire Laoban, Un Ojo earned Derby qualifying points in the Rebel and with a second in the Grade 3 Gotham Mile at Aqueduct before a troubled eighth in the Grade 1 $1.25 million April 2 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn. In the latter race, Un Ojo was bounced into the rail and emerged with a since-healed injury below his shoulder that required staples.
“He came out of that work Saturday with a bruised foot, and it’s just not the right thing to do to run him; he’s still a little tender on it,” trainer Ricky Courville said. “We’ll left the dust settle … He might to go the farm here in Kentucky; he might come back home (to Louisiana) or if he’s better in a week, we might find something else for him.”
Ethereal Road won an Oaklawn allowance Jan. 26 on the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes undercard, then finished a strong second to Un Ojo in the Rebel. Running the filly Secret Oath (third in the Arkansas Derby), Lukas shipped Ethereal Road to Keeneland and ran seventh in the Grade 1 $1 million Blue Grass Stakes April 9.
“I’m happy to be in, especially for the owner (Aaron Sones), he wanted to run,” Lukas said. “I’ve been there, I’ve done it before, I’ve had the experience so I’m happy to give him the experience. The horse has trained very well. Whether he’s good enough, how far he’ll take us, I don’t know. But at least that owner’s going to have the experience of the Derby and that’s the important thing.”
Lukas has four Derby winners — the filly Winning Colors in 1988, Thunder Gulch in 1995, Grindstone in 1996 and Charismatic in 1999. With Luis Contreras named to ride, Ethereal Road becomes the 50th Kentucky Derby starter for the 85-year-old Lukas. Un Ojo drew post 20.
Other Oaklawn-raced horses in the Derby are Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife (post 16, Florent Geroux), Barber Road (post 14, Reylu Gutierrez) and meet winner Zosos (post 19, Manny Franco). Cyberknife, Zosos and Tawny Port (post 18, Ricardo Santana Jr.) are trained by Louisville native Brad Cox, who was credited with his first Derby victory when 2021 winner Medina Spirit, since deceased, failed a post-drug examination and runner-up Mandaloun was promoted.
With Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert suspended from Churchill Downs through the 2023 Derby, two
horses formerly in his care will race in the Derby for a new trainer. Messier (post 6, John Velazquez) and Taiba (post 12, Mike Smith) have been entrusted with West Coast trainer Tim Yakteen, last-out Santa Anita Derby (G1) Taiba after only two previous starts.
Blue Grass winner Zandon (post 10, Flavien Prat) is the 3-1 program favorite over 7-2 points leader Epicenter (post 3, Joel Rosario). Post time for the Derby is 5:57 p.m. on NBC (Resort Channel 4).