Study Guide: 2025 Ohio Derby

Jun 17, 2025 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Chunk of Gold wins at Turfway Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

A 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) alumnus is among 10 horses entered in Saturday’s $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown.

Kentucky Derby veterans often take home top honors in the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby. The latest to do so was Two Phil’s in 2023.

Let’s meet the 2025 Ohio Derby field:

Brereton’s Baytown

Start(s): 13
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Baytown Partnership and Trawitzki Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Ehris Stables
Trainer: Paul McEntee
Jockey: Marshall Mendez

Top Speed Rating: (88) when winning a $40,000 claimer at Laurel Park.
Total Earnings: $142,391

Sire: Upstart
Dam: Kika
Color: Bay

With 13 starts under his belt, Brereton’s Baytown is the most experienced horse in the Ohio Derby field. But he’s yet to finish better than fifth in three starts against graded stakes competition and will need a step forward to challenge at Thistledown.

Chunk of Gold

Chunk of Gold wins at Turfway Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 5
Wins: 1
Place: 3
Show: 0

Owner: Terry L. Stephens
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Trainer: Ethan West
Jockey: Jareth Loveberry

Top Speed Rating: (98) when finishing second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $348,818

Sire: Preservationist
Dam: Play for Gold
Color: Gray/roan

Chunk of Gold showed promise on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, finishing second in the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2) before running ninth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) itself. He’s trained fast since the Kentucky Derby and is a logical win threat while facing easier competition at Thistledown.

Capo Luca

Copa Luca wins at Oaklawn Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 12
Wins: 4
Place: 0
Show: 2

Owner: Kim A. Puhl
Breeder: Cypress Creek Equine
Trainer: Kim A. Puhl
Jockey: Luis Gonzalez

Top Speed Rating: (92) when winning a $25,000 allowance optional claimer at Thistledown.
Total Earnings: $111,802

Sire: Laoban
Dam: Better Not Cry
Color: Bay

Capo Luca has won three straight races at Thistledown, so we know he likes this track. The Ohio Derby is a much tougher spot, but Capo Luca’s red-hot form shouldn’t be underestimated. The colt's Brisnet Speed ratings suggest he can factor for a top-four finish.

McAfee

McAfee wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 5
Wins: 1
Place: 2
Show: 0

Owner: Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Judt B. Hicks, and Scott C. Rice
Breeder: Judy Hicks
Trainer: Rick Dutrow Jr.
Jockey: John Velazquez

Top Speed Rating: (96) when finishing fifth in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $150,880

Sire: Cloud Computing
Dam: Sataves
Color: Dark bay/brown

A half-brother to 2024 Horse of the Year and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna, McAfee has shown steady improvement this year. He exits a close runner-up finish in the Peter Pan (G3) and brings competitive Brisnet Speed ratings to the table. A blazing half-mile workout at Churchill Downs earlier this month suggests McAfee remains in strong form, so he’s an Ohio Derby win contender.

Hill Road returns to the winner's circle in the G3 Peter Pan at Aqueduct under Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown! 💪 pic.twitter.com/10e63EZrRv

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 10, 2025

Extradition

Extradition wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 9
Wins: 2
Place: 2
Show: 1

Owner: Robert A. Rowe
Breeder: Three Chimneys Farm
Trainer: Jason DaCosta
Jockey: Rocco Bowen

Top Speed Rating: (86) when winning a Thistledown allowance.
Total Earnings: $122,629

Sire: Gun Runner
Dam: If Not For Her
Color: Chestnut

Extradition has shown flashes of talent, but in his latest try, he finished third by six lengths against Capo Luca in a Thistledown allowance. He’ll need improvement to turn the tables.

Clever Again

Clever Again wins at Oaklawn Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith
Breeder: Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Top Speed Rating: (99) when winning the Hot Springs S. at Oaklawn Park.
Total Earnings: $198,400

Sire: American Pharoah
Dam: Flattering
Color: Bay

Clever Again is dropping in class after finishing last in the Preakness (G1), the second leg of the Triple Crown. Clever Again set the pace in the Preakness before getting caught up in severe bumping at the top of the stretch; he might have finished better with a clean run. Two starts back, he wired the Hot Springs S. by four lengths over Grade 1 winner Gaming, earning a flashy 99 Brisnet Speed rating. On his best day, Clever Again is fast enough to win the Ohio Derby.

Bohemian Style

Start(s): 8
Wins: 1
Place: 2
Show: 2

Owner: Rivera Racing Stables
Breeder: Stonehedge
Trainer: Nestor Rivera
Jockey: Israel Rodriguez

Top Speed Rating: (76) when finishing second in a $12,500 claimer at Presque Isle Downs.
Total Earnings: $29,770

Sire: Cajun Breeze
Dam: Scandalous Act
Color: Dark bay/brown

Bohemian Style has earned modest Brisnet Speed ratings against easier competition and will need improvement to factor against stakes competition in the Ohio Derby.

Curvino

Curvino wins at Oaklawn Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 12
Wins: 1
Place: 3
Show: 4

Owner: Roncelli Family Trust, Kagele Thomas, and Michael Roney
Breeder: Machmer Hall
Trainer: Peter Miller
Jockey: Mike Smith

Top Speed Rating: (91) when finishing sixth in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park.
Total Earnings: $154,688

Sire: Vino Rosso
Dam: Queenie’s Pride
Color: Chestnut

After finishing fifth in a $125,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs earlier this month, Curvino is a longshot in the Ohio Derby. But Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is picking up the mount, and Curvino’s best Brisnet Speed ratings hint that a spot in the Ohio Derby top four isn’t out of the question.

Master Controller

Master Controller wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 4
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: AJMAC and Family Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Doug Branham and Felicia Branham
Trainer: Brittany Vanden Berg
Jockey: Christopher Emigh

Top Speed Rating: (93) when winning a $100,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $46,974

Sire: Tapiture
Dam: Key Is to Win
Color: Bay

Master Controller failed to factor in three starts as a juvenile, but he improved when returning from a long layoff in a $100,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs last month, leading all the way to win with a 93 Brisnet Speed rating. The question is, can Master Controller repeat that strong number while stepping up significantly in class and distance? It could be a tricky task.

Mo Plex

Mo Plex winning the Sanford (G3) at Saratoga (Photo by Susie Raisher/Coglianese Photos)

Start(s): 7
Wins: 4
Place: 1
Show: 2

Owner: R and H Stable
Breeder: Everything’s Cricket Racing
Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart
Jockey: Joseph Ramos

Top Speed Rating: (94) when winning the Bay Shore S. at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $445,000

Sire: Complexity
Dam: Mo Joy
Color: Bay

Mo Plex is unbeaten in four starts sprinting, including triumphs in the Sanford (G3), Funny Cide S., and Bay Shore S. But he’s 0-for-3 in route races, so stretching out over 1 1/8 miles for the Ohio Derby is a meaningful question mark.