Atreides Gets Distance Test in Indiana Derby

Stonestreet Stables' Atreides, winner of his first three starts by a combined 25 3/4 lengths, will make his first start around two turns in the $500,000 Indiana Derby (gr. II) for 3-year-olds the evening of Oct. 4 at Indiana Grand Race Course.

The Indiana Derby is the 10th race on an 11-race program that begins at 5:05 p.m. EST. The Derby, set for 9:30 p.m., will be preceded by the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (gr. II). There are seven other stakes on the card.

Listed as the morning-line favorite in a field of nine in the 1 1/16-mile Derby, Atreides' most recognizable competition will be Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Vicar's in Trouble, a winner of two grade II races this year, most recently the Super Derby in a strong effort.

Atreides, a Kentucky homebred colt by Medaglia d'Oro  , began his racing career July 12 at Gulfstream Park with a sharp victory in maiden special weight company. After that win at six furlongs, Atreides won a 6 1/2-furlong allowance event at Gulfstream, and Aug. 30 won the Monarchos Stakes at one mile around one turn at the Florida track.

Trained by Marty Wolfson, Atreides clearly has been one of the more interesting 3-year-olds in the second half of 2014. Wolfson thought about running the colt in the grade II Kelso Handicap against older foes around one turn at Belmont Park Sept., 27, but opted for the Indiana Derby.

"It's against 3-year-olds instead of older horses, and it's a faster track (at Indiana Grand)," Wolfson said. "The Belmont track is a little deep. I don't know (if he'll be as effective around two turns), but he acts like it."

Medaglia d'Oro, a winner of more than $5.7 million in top company, excelled at longer distances. Dream Rush, the dam of Atreides, was a two-time grade I-winning sprinter.

Atreides drew post 3 and will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario at 121 pounds.

Vicar's in Trouble, trained by Mike Maker, won the Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) to start his 3-year-old season, and then finished third in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. II). In his next start, the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), the Into Mischief   colt wired the field.

After a 19th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Vicar's in Trouble got back on track with third-place finishes in the Iowa Derby (gr. III) and West Virginia Derby (gr. II) before his Super Derby score. Tapiture and Candy Boy, the two colts he finished behind in the West Virginia Derby, returned to run second and third, respectively, behind Bayern in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II).

Rosie Napravnik, who rode Vicar's in Trouble to his three graded stakes wins, has the call again from post 4 at 124 pounds.

Carl Gessler Jr. and Dan Wiginton's C J's Awesome wheels right back off of a fourth-place finish in the Sept. 20 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. The Ken McPeek-trained colt by Awesome Again   chased front-running Bayern in second until mid-stretch in a track-record time for the 1 1/8-mile race, but held well to finish fourth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths in a blanket finish for the second, third, and fourth spots.

C J's Awesome drew post 7 outside of the probable first and second choices and could be a serious speed factor. Edgar Prado gets a return call at 117 pounds.