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Smooth Air Draws Rail In the 74th Running of the G2 $300,000 Ohio Derby

SMOOTH AIR DRAWS THISTLEDOWN RAIL
INSTALLED AS 2-1 OHIO DERBY FAVORITE
 
    Mount Joy Stables' Smooth Air, winner of the Grade II Hutcheson and second to Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown in the Grade I Florida Derby, drew the rail post and was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite by odds maker Pat Lynch for Saturday's Grade II $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
    Manoel Cruz, the only jockey to ride Smooth Air in his eight-race career, will be aboard for trainer Bennie Stutts, Jr.
    "He's ready to run his race," said Stutts, Jr., who worked Smooth Air seven-eighths of mile at Arlington Park in 1:24 4/5 on Sunday before shipping to Thistledown Tuesday afternoon.  "He'll gallop up to the Ohio Derby. What more do I have to do with him after that good workout?"
    A field of eight sophomore colts and geldings will face starter Rick Walker in the centerpiece race of Thistledown's 122-day season. The Ohio Derby will be the ninth race on a 10-race program with an approximate post time of 5:27 p.m.
    Zayat Stable's Z Fortune, winner of the Grade III LeComte at the Fair Grounds  on Jan. 12 and second, beaten just three-quarters of a length in the Grade II $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 12, is the Ohio Derby's second choice at 5-2. The Steve Asmussen-trainee will break from the No. 7 post with jockey Garrett Gomez.
    Equine Prep Management LLC's Medjool, third in the Grade II Lanes End at Turfway Park on March 22, is the 7-2 third choice on the Ohio Derby early bird line. Trained by Michael Matz of Barbaro fame, he'll be ridden by Jose Caraballo.
    Listed at morning line odds of 8-1 are both Battaglia Memorial runner-up Your Round and double Illinois-bred stakes winner Instill.
    Listed as outsiders are the 12-1 Cherokee Artist, who broke his maiden at Churchill Downs on the May 3 Kentucky Derby card, the 15-1 Stolen Chevy, who is unbeaten in three starts at Mountaineer Park this year, all against older horses, and the 20-1 Celtic Meal, who is stabled at Thistledown in the care of trainer Angel Feliciano, and finished second in his stakes debut, the May 10 $100,000 Tall Ships at Presque Isle Downs.     
 
           74th Running of the Grade II $300,000 Ohio Derby
 
PP/Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Odds
 
1/Smooth Air/Manoel Cruz/Bennie Stutts, Jr./2-1
2/Medjool/Jose Caraballo/Michael Matz/7-2
3/Your Round/Miguel Mena/Mark Hubley/8-1
4/Instill/Danush Sukie/John Wainwright/8-1
5/Stolen Chevy/Rex Stokes III/Michael Estes/15-1
6/Celtic Meal/Andrew Ramgeet/Miguel Feliciano/20-1
7/Z Fortune/Garrett Gomez/Steve Asmussen/5-2
8/Cherokee Artist/Jeremy Rose/Graham Motion/12-1