One Go All Go Upsets Commonwealth Derby
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Preston Stables and Prestonwood Racing's One Go All Go lived up to his name with a stunning gate-to-wire victory Sept. 19 in the $400,000 Commonwealth Derby (gr. IIT) at Laurel Park at odds of 35-1.
The 3-year-old son of Fairbanks shot to the lead in the 1 1/8-mile turf test, maintained a two-length advantage at every point of call, and outlasted a closing drive by Fundamental to win by a length for trainer Pavel Matejka. Grade I winner and 2-5 favorite Force the Pass finished third, a head back.
The Commonwealth Derby was the first graded stakes victory for One Go All Go, as well as the first for Matejka, and jockey Ronald Hisby.
"My horse broke well, and I just kept going," Hisby said. "No one was there, so we kept going and going. He just kept going and never stopped."
Uncontested on the lead, One Go All Go set fractions of :24.49, :49.37, and 1:13.52 through six furlongs. He hit a mile in 1:36.83 and crossed the wire in 1:48.35 on firm turf.
"I couldn't believe :49 and change," Matejka said of the half-mile fraction. "He was right there on the loose. It worked out perfect. We talked with Ronald before the race and said, 'If they let you go, go. If you get in trouble, take him back, and sit and wait.' But nobody wanted the lead."
With only a debut win back in August of 2014 on his record, One Go All Go was coming off an allowance/optional claiming effort at Indiana Grand Race Course where he crossed the wire first but was disqualified to second in his first turf start. His only other graded try was a third-place finish in last year's Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III).
"We knew he had huge ability, but he didn't show it on the dirt," Matejka said. "We were looking at a Triple Crown career, and tried him on the dirt twice and it didn't work out."
The winner paid $72.40, $19, and $8.60 across the board. Fundamental brought $5.40 and $3, while Force the Pass delivered $2.10 to show.
Great Dancer finished an even fourth, followed by Go Around, Gallery, and Majestic Pride, to complete the order of finish.
Bred in Virginia by Albert Coppola, out of the Marquetry mare See Ashleigh Run, One Go All Go now has a 2-1-1 record with $272,765 record. He was a $40,000 purchase at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training.