Ohio Derby Winner Owendale to Return to Grade 1 Company

After picking up his second graded stakes score in the June 22 Ohio Derby (G3) at JACK Thistledown Racino, Rupp Racing's Owendale will step back up to grade 1 company for his next outing. 

Prior to Saturday, trainer Brad Cox saddled the Into Mischief  colt to a third-place finish in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1), one start after Owendale broke through in the April 13 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

The Ohio Derby was Owendale's longest race won yet at 1 1/8 miles.

"He's a horse that I've said all along I thought he'd be better with distance," Cox said. "I don't know how far he'll go. We're hoping he can get a mile and a quarter. It looks like he'd be able to get a mile and a quarter judging off the Preakness and the Ohio Derby the other day, so we're hoping for bigger and better things the rest of the year."

Connections have still not decided on a specific target, but the July 20 TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, Aug. 24 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, and Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing are all in play.

The Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby are the same distance as the Ohio Derby, while the Travers is 1 1/4 miles.

Owendale was seen on the Triple Crown trail in the Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) following an allowance optional claiming victory at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. He finished eighth in the Risen Star with a wide trip, but rebounded in the Lexington when he rallied from ninth.

Cox said Owendale, who had two wins from seven starts prior to the Lexington, showed improvement in late March.

"Before the Lexington he was really starting to move forward and turning it up in his training, more aggressive," he said. "We actually added a shadow roll to him he's been running in since the Lexington. I'm not saying it's the shadow roll—it certainly hasn't hurt him—but he's really moved forward since late March. I guess you could say the beginning of spring he really took off and started developing and just became a bigger, stronger, faster horse."

Owendale made his Triple Crown appearance in the Preakness Stakes, his first grade 1 race, and made a strong rally under jockey Florent Geroux, who's had the mount since the Lexington. The colt missed runner-up Everfast by a nose and was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by War of Will.

Cox credits Geroux for taking Owendale to the inside path in Thistledown's stretch after splitting horses in the Ohio Derby. The colt dueled with Math Wizard in front of the grandstand, but was able to put away that rival by half a length. The final time was 1:50.88.

Cox said Owendale bounced out of the race in good shape and is scheduled to return to the track at Churchill Downs the morning of June 26.

"It's one race at a time and it's really a day at a time," Cox said, "but we're happy with where he is and what he's accomplished this week."

Back at his Louisville base, Cox had LNJ Foxwoods' 3-year-old filly Covfefe entered in the Roxelana Overnight Stakes Saturday. Also sired by Into Mischief, Covfefe was facing older fillies and mares for the first time in the six-furlong sprint. It was her first start since setting a 1:07.70 six-furlong track record at Pimlico Race Course in the May 17 Adena Springs Miss Preakness Stakes (G3).

Cox said he knew the Roxelana was a big ask, especially with 4-year-old Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) winner Mia Mischief entered. Covfefe broke from post 2 and set early fractions of :21.38 and :44.41. Mia Mischief was close in second and got the better of Covfefe in the stretch, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:09.76. Awestruck came running and nabbed Covfefe by a head for second.

"We obviously thought being down on the inside we were going to take the worst of it, and I think we did. We got pressed pretty hard, but that's racing," Cox said. "I don't regret taking the chance. I think she got something out of it. It's a step towards the (Aug. 3 Longines) Test (Stakes, G1, at Saratoga). That'll be her next start, what we're pointing her for, and we'll see how things unfold."