The Ohio Derby at Thistledown Saturday is coming up big with the appearance of Peter Pan winner Global Campaign. He’s the horse last seen just a week after the Kentucky Derby, May 11 in New York besting Belmont Stakes victor Sir Winston at 1 1/8 miles.
Because dominance in the three-year-old Thoroughbred division remains elusive, with top horses spreading out nationwide, Global Campaign for veteran conditioner Stanley Hough, cannot be overlooked. He’s clearly better than Sir Winston, if his Peter Pan form, producing a 1 ½ length win, holds up. However, the morning line maker has made him third choice in the projected wagering even though the Ohio Derby is also 1 1/8 miles.
Owendale for Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen’s Long Range Toddy are presenting the two major obstacles to Global Campaign’s Ohio Derby hopes. Early odds project Owendale as the 9/5 favorite, Long Range Toddy at 5/2 and, remarkably, Global Campaign at a juicy 3/1. It’s just a seven-horse field.
Hoof Injury for Hough Horse Detours Global Campaign
Hough’s son of Curlin was well thought of in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park in Florida on the road to the Kentucky Derby. But it ended up being his only appearance in a Derby points event, resulting in a disappointing fifth behind winner Code of Honor. Hough, then seeing a minor hoof injury, opted to give his horse a break, choosing to regroup for his Peter Pan start. To see the chart of the $300,000 Peter Pan Stakes click here.
Global Campaign is a half brother to the formerly California-based speedster Bolt d’Oro . He’s the highly regarded horse who in 2017 won his first three starts, including the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes, before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Bolt d’Oro after an uneven three-year-old campaign is now busy at stud duties.
Global Campaign is a winner of three of his four career starts, all this year. His regular rider Luis Saez, currently appealing his suspension for his ride on Maximum Security in the Kentucky Derby, will again scale the Hough student.
Long Range Toddy seeks redemption after two off-the-board finishes, both on sloppy tracks. He’s a winner of a division of the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, then sixth in the Arkansas Derby and 16th in the Kentucky Derby.
Owendale is certainly a horse on the improve. The Into Mischief colt bested a tough field in the Lexington Stakes April 13 at Keeneland at 1 1/16 miles. In the Preakness on May 18 at Pimlico, he was third in the 1 3/16 mile Triple Crown classic, War of Will beating him by just over a length.
Day of Reckoning for Leading Three-Year-Olds
If Ohio is hospitable to Global Campaign, Hough could route him to either the $1 million Haskell Stakes July 20 at Monmouth Park or the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes a week later at Saratoga Race Course in Upstate New York. Solid results could mean a spot in the starting gate Aug. 24 for the $1.25 million Travers Stakes, also at Saratoga. Several of the division’s “big boys” are heading in that direction including Sir Winston, War of Will, Maximum Security, King for a Day and perhaps Bob Baffert’s Game Winner, the two-year old champ.
“He’s a special horse, he really is,” Hough says about Global Campaign. “He does great with company. He’s matured a lot. He was pretty playful as a young horse and he’s maturing now later in his three-year-old year, so he’s becoming less difficult. But he’s always been a really good work horse and always showed a lot of talent from day one.”
Here’s the Ohio Derby full field including post position, jockey, trainer and morning line odds:
- Math Wizard — E. Zayas — S. Joseph Jr. — Â 8/1
- Owendale — F. Gerouz — B. Cox — 9/5
- Long Range Toddy — J. Court — S. Asmussen — 5/2
- Global Campaign — Luis Saez — S. Hough — 3/1
- Going for Gold — Â J. Bracho — R. Hess Jr. — 20/1
- Bethlehem Road — L. Castro — D. Curry — 6/1
- Dare Day — L. Rivera — J. Radosevich –15/1