Jockey Jose Ortiz is hoping for clear sailing aboard Clever Again against nine rivals in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown Racino on Saturday.
For those who bet on horse racing and recall it well, Clever Again was the horse in the Preakness Stakes (G1) who was bumped into the rail and out of contention by eventual winner Journalism on May 17.
And he’s ready for redemption in the two-turn, 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby, a race offering betting options galore from graded-stakes placed 3-year-olds from the Triple Crown trail to maiden winners trying to take a step up as the summer season gets rolling.
Clever Again, trained by Steve Asmussen, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite leaving from post 6. He’s won gate-to-wire but also has tactical speed, which could be helpful if a few other front-runners choose to set a hot pace.
Those would likely be Mo Plex at 6-1, leaving from the outside 10 post, and Master Controller at 20-1 from post 9. Mo Plex has never finished out of the top 3 in seven career starts (4-2-1) as he ran first or second throughout in six of those races. Master Controller broke his maiden in his 3-year-old debut going gate to wire.
Clever Again, beaten a head in his career debut in April 2024, didn’t start again until February, going gate-to-wire at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park with Ortiz aboard. A month later, he won the 1-mile Hot Springs Stakes in similar fashion.
McAfee, trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., is the 3-1 second choice with John Velazquez aboard, leaving from post 4. He was a disappointing fifth in both the Gotham Stakes (G3) and the Wood Memorial (G2) but was beaten a head by Hill Road in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) on May 10.
Also in the field is Chunk of Gold, a closer who ran ninth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in his last start after running second in his previous three races, including the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and the Louisiana Derby (G2). The Derby also-ran may be a popular choice at 7-2, but the race may not set up well for this popular colt purchased as a yearling for $2,500.
The picks: 1 McAfee, 2 Clever Again, 3 Master Controller
The field for the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
