IN the latest Kentucky Derby trial, the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, 75/1 shot Un Ojo pulled off a shock win in the $1 million trial last Saturday to earn a place in the Kentucky Derby.

The one-eyed New York State-bred gelding rallied along the rail to pass another longshot Ethereal Road in the final strides to win by half a length in the mile-and-half-a-furlong contest for three-year-olds.

Trainer Ricky Courville collected his first graded stakes since he took out his license in 2008.

Bob Baffert’s unbeaten Newgrange came in as 4/5 favourite to add the Rebel to a list of stakes wins that included the Southwest Stakes and Oaklawn Park and the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

The son of Violence pressed the early pace but faded to sixth in the field of 11.

It briefly looked like D. Wayne Lukas was on the verge of an epic weekend, after winning the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes for three-year-old fillies with the brilliant Secret Oath earlier on Saturday’s card. Lukas’ 15/1 shot Ethereal Road looked set for victory in the Rebel with a half-length lead at the furlong pole.

But Un Ojo and jockey Ramon Vazquez who had hugged the rail was still third at the furlong pole, found plenty in the final furlong in the wet conditions and proved stronger to win in 1m 45.69secs on a fast track.

Un Ojo, who lost his left eye in a pasture accident as a yearling, did have some reasonable form, second in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in his previous start, four and a half lengths behind Early Voting.

The gelded son of Laoban was trained in New York by Tony Dutrow for his two starts there before he returned to Courville, who had trained the gelding in his earlier starts, for this race.

“It’s kind of shared between me and Tony because I sent him to Tony, to Aqueduct, for the winter and Tony had him until Monday and sent him back to us,” Courville said.

With 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points going to the winner, Un Ojo earned his place at Churchill Downs for the Derby. He could reappear next in the Arkansas Derby.

Ethereal Road, a Quality Road colt, was second by a nose from Barber Road and earned 20 points to move into fourth on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Lukas’ new Secret star

D. WAYNE Lukas may have another star performer as the filly Secret Oath continued her winning ways as she powered to a seven-and-a-half-length victory in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes on the card at Oaklawn Park.

Lukas is talking big for his Arrogate filly as she streaked to her third straight win and first graded success, following a dominant performance in the Martha Washington Stakes.

Sent off the 1/5 favourite, Secret Oath was slowly away under regular pilot Luis Contreras and settled second-to-last.

Secret Oath improved into the far turn but was held behind Yuuguri, however, she burst through a narrow gap along the fence as Yuuguri drifted out.

Racing clear, Secret Oath hit the wire in 1m 44.74secs for the mile and half a furlong on a fast track, a faster time than the colts in the Rebel.

Secret Oath secured a spot in the Kentucky Oaks with the Honeybee victory, topping the leaderboard for the Kentucky Oaks with 60 points.

Eighty-six-year-old Lukas said Secret Oath could also be a candidate to challenge males for the first time in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. However, he will keep the colt Ethereal Road and the filly apart.

THE connections of recently disqualified Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit went to court on Monday in an attempt to keep their equine drug positive penalisations from being enforced while their case gets appealed at the commission level. Trainer Bob Baffert is facing a 90-day suspension and $7,500 fine for Medina Spirit’s betamethasone positive in the 2021 Derby.

“If I am suspended, I will be prevented from entering horses to race anywhere in the United States. Every day that I am prevented from entering horses in races is one day of lost opportunity that I can never regain, and for which I will be harmed.”

Baffert stated in an affidavit and a request for a temporary injunction against the KHRC’s rulings. He is also suing Churchill Downs Inc for its ban on him competing until 2023.