The $150,000 Hawthorne Derby for 3-year olds headlines racing in the region Saturday. The Grade III race, to be run at a mile and a eighth over the turf, drew a field of 13 including one also eligible.
While Chicagoland has had its woes in recent years, the top races still draw solid fields and this edition of the Hawthorne Derby is no exception.
The morning line favorite in this very competitive field is the 4-1 Saham. Joe Rocco Jr. makes the trip up from Kentucky to ride for trainer Brendan Walsh off the heels of taking the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs. Stretching out to a mile and eighth for the first time in his career, captured the mile and a sixteenth Crowd Pleaser at Parx Racing with plenty left in the tank. While he proved he could handle open company with the win in the Jefferson Cup, that was cutting back to a mile.
European Group 3 winner (Prix La Rouchelle at Longchamp) Nucifera checks in as the second choice. The only race in the United States for the More than Ready colt was a steadily closing third in a Saratoga stake in August that left observers thinking that more ground would not be an issue.
One Go All Go comes into the race on a two race winning streak since debuting as a 3-year old, including the Grade 2 Commonwealth Derby at today’s distance, winning them both gate to wire. With an absence of speed in the Cup, One Go All Go is an interesting option with possibly some value (6-1 morning line).
Wireless Future, on the rail, has flashed some speed in the past and with One Go All Go breaking from post 11, may have a tough time getting to the lead early though he will have the length of the stretch to prevent going wide through the first turn.
Wireless Future opened up his 3-year old campaign with an allowance win before being overmatched in the Grade 3 Spiral and Grade 2 American Turf. Last out at Kentucky Downs in the Dueling Grounds Derby, Wireless Future was again close to the lead and just missed by a head in the $300,000 stake.
A pair stakes winners find themselves as morning line longshots in the Hawthorne Derby.
Mystic Lake Derby winner Nun the Less bounced off his effort in that race to finish well behind Saham in the Churchill Downs while Grade III Ontario Derby winner Lucky Lindy returns to the turf, where he’s never won, off his victory in the Ontario over the artificial main track at Woodbine.
In this very closely matched field just about anyone could step up and win.
Though stepping up into stakes company for the first time, Chip Leader has won at a sprint and a route over the turf. Syntax has been a bit cold his last two races but captured the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware at today’s distance earlier in the season. Runners coming out of the Ramsey program can never been completed discounted and Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Granny’s Kitten looked like he made a return to form in the Centaur at Indiana Downs last out.
The shape of the race is going to be important and with a mix of pressers and closers in the race with less early speed, if One Go All Go can shake loose through the lane the first time, he could carry the field around. It is going to be tough from post 11 though depending on the odds, the risk/reward could make a flier on his worthwhile.
Given the closeness of the field, it may be worthwhile playing several exotics and looking to cash a solid ticket with the anticipated spread of money throughout the field.
The Hawthorne Derby is the 8th race on Saturday’s card with an estimated post time of 5:40 pm.
