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Smooth Air Wins Ohio Derby

SMOOTH AIR RALLIES TO EASY SCORE IN THISTLEDOWN'S $300,000  OHIO DERBY   
Mount Joy Stables' Smooth Air, trained by 70-year-old Bennie Stutts Jr., rallied in the stretch turn to run down Cherokee Artist and win Saturday's Grade II $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.

At the wire, after 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 1/5 over a fast track, Smooth Air, ridden by Manoel Cruz, was four lengths clear of Cherokee Artist. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to the favored Z Fortune in third place. Medjool was fourth, followed by Your Round, Instill, Celtic Meal, and Stolen Chevy.  Smooth Air, who finished second to Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown in the Florida Derby, earned Mount Joy $180,000 and paid $5.80 for a $2 win ticket.

"This is the proudest moment of my life," said Stutts. "I'm in a hurry to get back to him. I don't want him out  of my sight."

Brian Burns, the owner of Mount Joy said of Stutts, "He's come on the scene as a young 70."

The most confident member of the Smooth Air team was Cruz.  "My horse can run on the pace or he can close. I was very confident of winning and I told that to Bennie."

"I was afraid of him being overconfident," said Stutts.

Celtic Meal, the lone Thistledown-based entrant in the Derby, bounded from the gate to make the early Ohio Derby lead. Cherokee Artist, breaking from the outside, No. 8 post, was also away swiftly and was second coming out the clubhouse turn, with Smooth Air just to his inside. 

Z Fortune and his Eclipse Award-winning rider Garrett Gomez were content to sit fifth in the early running.  At the five-eighths pole, with Celtic Meal still in front and Cherokee Artist stalking out of him, Cruz took a hold of his mount, allowing his rivals to open up three lengths on him. He then decided to swing Smooth Air outside the top two.

"I wanted to get him outside because I had a lot of horse," said Cruz.
 
At the five-sixteenths pole, Celtic Meal was through and Cherokee Artist assumed the lead. Cruz then asked Smooth Air for his best, and an eighth of a mile later, they were head-and-head for the lead with Cherokee Artist. Z Fortune also put in his bid, sneaking up the rail to get within a half-length of the top two, but quickly stalled.

"I cut the corner a little bit and made a little bit of a run and he just flattened out. It's back to the drawing board." 

Smooth Air, full of run, left Cherokee Artist at the eighth pole, drawing off to his easy victory.  Also defeated, Jeremy Rose, the rider of Cherokee Artist, was impressed with the colt's first-ever stakes start.

"He took the lead easily but shied a bit when Smooth Air came to him. But, wow, what a nice horse."