Kentucky Derby Starters Reunite in Ohio Derby

Heading into the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), one could say that Irap, Girvin, and Fast and Accurate all shared a common narrative. 

Each was coming into the First Saturday in May off career-best graded stakes wins but, given the waters they were about to wade into, they were all considered longshots to pick up a piece of the first leg of the Triple Crown, and each ended up humbled in the 1 1/4-mile classic.

So when the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) is contested at Thistledown June 24, the trio will again share a goal of trying to get their respective form and confidence on track for the second half of the season.

Including graded stakes-placed Untrapped, the Ohio Derby will feature four contenders who started in the Kentucky Derby, with Brad Grady's multiple grade 2 winner Girvin installed as the 2-1 morning-line choice in the nine-horse lineup.

Not much went right for any of the bunch in the 10-furlong classic, where Untrapped and Girvin finished 12th and 13th, respectively, while Fast and Accurate and Irap checked in 17th and 18th. With the 3-year-old male division still wide open after three different horses won the Triple Crown races, a good performance in the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby could be a steppingstone for any of its runners to get into the mix this summer.

Prior to his Kentucky Derby run and well-documented quarter crack issues that led up to it, Girvin put together back-to-back wins in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). The dark bay son of Tale of Ekati   prevailed in three of his first four starts—with his lone defeat in that span coming on turf. He most recently fired a bullet five-furlong workout in 1:00 at Churchill's Trackside Training Center June 17.

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"He's coming into (Saturday's) race fantastic," said trainer Joe Sharp. "He had a tough trip in the (Kentucky) Derby, but with 20 horses you know going in that you can get into trouble. I was actually more nervous before the Louisiana Derby, because we were expected to win. He's really, really doing well. We're really looking forward to the rest of his 3-year-old season."

Reddam Racing's Irap pulled off the stunner of the Kentucky Derby prep season when he broke his maiden in his eighth start in the April 8 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, where he bested a group that included then unbeaten McCraken, multiple grade 1 winner Practical Joke, and eventual Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tapwrit. The bay son of Tiznow   raced just off the early fractions that day en route to a three-quarter-length win. He is likely to be forwardly placed again starting from the rail in an Ohio Derby field that doesn't boast much early speed.

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"He's knocked heads with some good horses, for sure," said trainer Doug O'Neill. "But he's by Tiznow  , so he's got the pedigree. He's got a lot of stamina on the bottom. The Blue Grass brought that all home for us. He needs things to go his way, but he's maturing as a 3-year-old, and I think he will get better and better with age."

Fast and Accurate earned his graded score when he took the March 25 Jack Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (G3) over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park and has shown speed in his eight outings, including a gate-to-wire win in the Sage of Monticello Stakes over the Gulfstream Park turf Feb. 20. What the son of Hansen has yet to do is win on dirt. Prior to his Kentucky Derby run, his only other dirt try came when he finished fifth in a one-mile allowance race at Parx Racing in October.

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Owner Ron Paolucci, an Ohio native, has three horses entered under his Loooch Racing banner in Talk Less, Vibe, and Game Over. Game Over is undefeated in his two starts, one at Oaklawn Park and the other at Churchill Downs, and the Ohio Derby will be the first stakes attempt and first try at two turns for the son of Mineshaft  .

"You never know until you try," trainer Jeff Radosevich said of Game Over. "He got in traffic trouble in his last race but still came back to win. Sometimes a horse will get stopped or bothered and they'll give up, but he didn't. He's also stabled here and has worked over the track."

Ohio Derby (G3)

Thistledown, Saturday, June 24, 2017, Race 8

• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 3 yo
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
3	1Talk Less (VA)	Luis H. Colon	120	Jeffrey A. Radosevich	12/1
4	1AVibe (KY)	Ricardo Feliciano	120	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	12/1
8	1XGame Over (KY)	Jacob Radosevich	120	Jeffrey A. Radosevich	12/1
1	2Irap (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Doug F. O'Neill	3/1
2	3Untrapped (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Steven M. Asmussen	9/2
5	4Sorry Erik (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	120	J. Keith Desormeaux	6/1
6	5Girvin (KY)	Mike E. Smith	124	Joe Sharp	2/1
7	6Fast and Accurate (PA)	T. D. Houghton	122	Michael J. Maker	8/1
9	7Hinton (KY)	John McKee	120	Thomas Drury, Jr.	20/1