Dean Martini Pulls Off a Surprise in the Ohio Derby
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Photo: JJ Zamaiko Photography, Inc.
Ricardo Mejias celebrates his first graded stakes victory aboard Dean Martini in the Ohio Derby at Thistledown
When trainer Brad Cox ran Dean Martini in a $50,000 claiming race after seven losses in maiden special weight races, it caught the eye of trainer Tom Amoss.
"I use the Ragozin Sheets, and his numbers were very attractive," Amoss said about a consistent gelding who was second or third in six of his seven starts before the May 17 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs.
After the son of Cairo Prince romped by 6 3/4 lengths in his initial try for a tag and Amoss was the only one to drop a claim slip, the veteran trainer brought his new acquisition for Brad Rives and Andie Jessee's Raise the BAR Racing back to the races a little less than a month later. Inspired by the lopsided win, Amoss entered Dean Martini in a June 12 allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs, where he got to the front in midstretch but settled for second, 1 1/2 lengths behind Man in the Can.
"I thought that told the tale," Amoss said. "He had the outside post (in a field of 12), had a wide trip, and got beat by a very good horse. That's when I became very excited about him."
That excitement sparked a last-minute decision to get even more ambitious and enter Dean Martini in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds June 27, a decision that led to what can be best described as a claim to fame.
With jockey Ricardo Mejias making a decisive move along the rail to take the lead on the backstretch and turn for home with a clear lead, the former claimer fended off a late bid by South Bend to take the Ohio Derby at Thistledown and toss his hat into the ring for some of the big stakes for 3-year-olds in the months to come.
"He ran really great," Amoss said.
The victory gave Dean Martini 20 qualifying points toward a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), which would put him 21st in the race for the 20 berths in the starting gate Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs if he were nominated for the Triple Crown.
"That's the carrot dangling in front us. I don't know. We'll see," Amoss said about the Kentucky Derby.
Dean Martini ($31.20) showed some early speed in the 1 1/8-mile stakes, racing in third along the rail, just a half-length behind the dueling Rowdy Yates and Lebda, who were heads apart after a quick :22.80 opening quarter-mile.
Mejias allowed the 14-1 shot to drop back to fifth at the half-mile pole, but then Dean Martini launched an aggressive move along the rail to take the lead after six furlongs in 1:11.88 and spurted away from his 12 rivals turning for home.
Mejias' timing was perfect. Ahead by three lengths at the eighth pole, Dean Martini had enough speed left to hold Sagamore Farm's South Bend at bay by three-quarters of a length.
A son of Algorithms who won last year's Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs on dirt, South Bend was coming off five consecutive losses in turf races for trainer Stanley Hough and raced with blinkers off.
Dean Martini covered the distance in 1:51.60 and notched the first graded stakes win for the locally based Mejias, who has been riding since 2012, and Raise the BAR Racing.
TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Storm the Court, the 2-1 favorite from post 12, was two lengths back in third for trainer Peter Eurton while suffering a fourth straight loss since his big day at the World Championships. The son of Court Vision owned by David Bernsen, Exline-Border Racing, Dan Hudock, and Susanna Wilson picked up four Kentucky Derby points and now has 36 (13th on the leaderboard).
Ironically, Bernsen was Dean Martini's co-owner when the gelding ran second at 24-1 odds Aug. 4 in his career debut at Ellis Park for trainer Peter Miller.
L and N Racing's Rowdy Yates held on for fourth and netted two Kentucky Derby points.
Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones and Bret Jones out of the Friends Lake mare Soundwave, Dean Martini was originally bought by Glencrest Farm for $72,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. He was then consigned by Four Star Sales to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he went to Rockingham Ranch for $220,000.
The gelding raced for Bernsen and Rockingham Ranch for his first six starts before Bernsen became the sole owner.
The win was Dean Martini's second in 10 starts and lifted his earnings to $391,380. He is the first stakes winner for Soundwave, whose past two foals—a filly in 2019 and a colt in 2020—were by Creative Cause .