By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman
Ever since the purse for the
Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown increased to its current $500,000 in 2015, the 1
1/8-mile race has been won on a regular basis by Triple Crown alumni.
Last year, it was Kentucky
Derby (G1) runner-up Two Phil's who dominated the Ohio Derby by 5 3/4 lengths.
In 2022, Derby also-rans Tawny Port, White Abarrio, and Classic Causeway ran
1-2-3 in the Ohio Derby. In 2019, Preakness (G1) third-place finisher Owendale
proved best. In 2017, Derby also-rans Irap, Girvin, and Untrapped completed
another Ohio Derby trifecta sweep. In 2016, Derby eighth-place finisher Mo Tom
bounced back to win the Ohio Derby by three lengths, and in 2015 Derby and
Preakness veteran Mr. Z defeated Derby also-ran Tencendur and Preakness
third-place finisher Divining Rod.
All this is leading to one
conclusion: #8 Catching Freedom is
going to be tough to defeat in the 2024 Ohio Derby coming up this Saturday.
Catching Freedom is one of
three Triple Crown alumni in the 10-horse field. The other two—#5 Uncle Heavy and #10 Mugatu, who finished sixth and eighth in the Preakness—are
respectable runners, but they'll be longshots compared to Catching Freedom, who
boasts a pair of top-four finishes from the spring classics.
Catching Freedom has
competed exclusively against stakes competition this year and hasn't run a bad
race. He kicked off his campaign with a stretch-running score in the Smarty
Jones S. at Oaklawn Park, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over future Arkansas Derby
(G1) runner-up Just Steel. Then he took his game to Fair Grounds, where he
finished a troubled third in the Risen Star (G2) behind future Kentucky Derby
runner-up Sierra Leone before charging from last to first to win the Louisiana Derby
(G2) over Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) hero Honor Marie.
In the Louisiana Derby,
Catching Freedom finished fast on the clock (running his final three furlongs
in approximately :36.58) and earned strong speed figures of 97 (Beyer) and 100
(Brisnet). This performance stamped Catching Freedom as an 8-1 chance in the
Kentucky Derby, in which he closed ground resolutely to finish fourth by 1 3/4
lengths.
Catching Freedom ran even
better in the Preakness. Racing over a muddy track, he settled a bit closer to
the pace than usual (fifth place in a field of eight) before gaining ground to
finish third by 2 1/4 lengths. He was beaten only a head for second place by
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and earned speed figures of 97 (Beyer) and 102
(Brisnet).
Although Catching Freedom
has been busy this year, he's bounced out of the Preakness with encouraging
workouts at Churchill Downs, clocking half a mile in :49 3/5 before sprinting
five furlongs in :59 3/5. From all appearances he's thriving on his
action-packed schedule, setting the stage for another strong showing in the
Ohio Derby.
The one possible chink I can
see in Catching Freedom's armor is his lack of tactical speed; on paper, there
isn't much pace in the Ohio Derby field, so there's a good chance the race will
unfold at a modest clip. But on the bright side, Catching Freedom hasn't been
pace-dependent so far (the Louisiana Derby tempo was modest and the Risen Star
pace was on the slow side), so he shouldn't be too bothered by the lack of pace
in Saturday's field, especially since he showed improved positional speed in
the Preakness. I'm inclined to believe dropping in class will send Catching
Freedom to the Thistledown winner's circle regardless of whether he receives a
favorable setup or not.
For second place, I'm keen
to support #9 Batten Down, who has
made gradual progress this year for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. A son of
Tapit out of champion Close Hatches, Batten Down is a stoutly bred full-brother
to Belmont (G1) runner-up and three-time Grade 2 winner Tacitus.
Batten Down cracked the
trifecta in two of his first three starts, then broke through fourth-time out
when stretching out over 1 1/4 miles for a Churchill Downs maiden special
weight. The gray colt made the lead through modest fractions and steadily
widened his advantage to win easily by 8 3/4 lengths, earning speed figures of
93 (Beyer) and 97 (Brisnet).
Batten Down was considered
for a start in the Belmont (G1) before being rerouted to the Ohio Derby. As the
only obvious pacesetter in the field, he figures to work out another favorable
trip on the front end, similar to his maiden victory. I'm not sure Batten Down
is quite ready to conquer Catching Freedom, who holds an edge in the speed
figure department, but this Juddmonte homebred is progressing in the right
direction and has a strong chance to finish in the exacta on Saturday.
Now it's your turn! Who do
you like in the Ohio Derby?
*****
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J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, videographer, voice actor, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite.
