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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman Ever since the purse for theOhio Derby (G3) at Thistledown increased to its current $500,000 in 2015, the 11/8-mile race has been won on a regular basis by Triple Crown alumni. Last year, it was KentuckyDerby (G1) runner-up Two Phil's who dominated the Ohio Derby by 5 3/4 lengths.In 2022, Derby also-rans Tawny Port, White Abarrio, and Classic Causeway ran1-2-3 in the Ohio Derby. In 2019, Preakness (G1) third-place finisher Owendaleproved best. In 2017, Derby also-rans Irap, Girvin, and Untrapped completedanother Ohio Derby trifecta sweep. In 2016, Derby eighth-place finisher Mo Tombounced back to win the Ohio Derby by three lengths, and in 2015 Derby andPreakness veteran Mr. Z defeated Derby also-ran Tencendur and Preaknessthird-place finisher Divining Rod. All this is leading to oneconclusion: #8 Catching Freedom isgoing to be tough to defeat in the 2024 Ohio Derby coming up this Saturday.
Catching Freedom is one ofthree Triple Crown alumni in the 10-horse field. The other two—#5 Uncle Heavy and #10 Mugatu, who finished sixth and eighth in the Preakness—arerespectable runners, but they'll be longshots compared to Catching Freedom, whoboasts a pair of top-four finishes from the spring classics.
Catching Freedom hascompeted exclusively against stakes competition this year and hasn't run a badrace. He kicked off his campaign with a stretch-running score in the SmartyJones S. at Oaklawn Park, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over future Arkansas Derby(G1) runner-up Just Steel. Then he took his game to Fair Grounds, where hefinished a troubled third in the Risen Star (G2) behind future Kentucky Derbyrunner-up Sierra Leone before charging from last to first to win the Louisiana Derby(G2) over Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) hero Honor Marie.
In the Louisiana Derby,Catching Freedom finished fast on the clock (running his final three furlongsin approximately :36.58) and earned strong speed figures of 97 (Beyer) and 100(Brisnet). This performance stamped Catching Freedom as an 8-1 chance in theKentucky Derby, in which he closed ground resolutely to finish fourth by 1 3/4lengths.
Catching Freedom ran evenbetter in the Preakness. Racing over a muddy track, he settled a bit closer tothe pace than usual (fifth place in a field of eight) before gaining ground tofinish third by 2 1/4 lengths. He was beaten only a head for second place byKentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and earned speed figures of 97 (Beyer) and 102(Brisnet).
Although Catching Freedomhas been busy this year, he's bounced out of the Preakness with encouragingworkouts at Churchill Downs, clocking half a mile in :49 3/5 before sprintingfive furlongs in :59 3/5. From all appearances he's thriving on hisaction-packed schedule, setting the stage for another strong showing in theOhio Derby.
The one possible chink I cansee in Catching Freedom's armor is his lack of tactical speed; on paper, thereisn't much pace in the Ohio Derby field, so there's a good chance the race willunfold at a modest clip. But on the bright side, Catching Freedom hasn't beenpace-dependent so far (the Louisiana Derby tempo was modest and the Risen Starpace was on the slow side), so he shouldn't be too bothered by the lack of pacein Saturday's field, especially since he showed improved positional speed inthe Preakness. I'm inclined to believe dropping in class will send CatchingFreedom to the Thistledown winner's circle regardless of whether he receives afavorable setup or not.
For second place, I'm keento support #9 Batten Down, who hasmade gradual progress this year for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. A son ofTapit out of champion Close Hatches, Batten Down is a stoutly bred full-brotherto Belmont (G1) runner-up and three-time Grade 2 winner Tacitus.
Batten Down cracked thetrifecta in two of his first three starts, then broke through fourth-time outwhen stretching out over 1 1/4 miles for a Churchill Downs maiden specialweight. The gray colt made the lead through modest fractions and steadilywidened his advantage to win easily by 8 3/4 lengths, earning speed figures of93 (Beyer) and 97 (Brisnet).
Batten Down was consideredfor a start in the Belmont (G1) before being rerouted to the Ohio Derby. As theonly obvious pacesetter in the field, he figures to work out another favorabletrip on the front end, similar to his maiden victory. I'm not sure Batten Downis quite ready to conquer Catching Freedom, who holds an edge in the speedfigure department, but this Juddmonte homebred is progressing in the rightdirection and has a strong chance to finish in the exacta on Saturday.
Now it's your turn! Who doyou like in the Ohio Derby?
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J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, videographer, voice actor, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. fa*ger to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite.
