Un Ojo puts his name in the mix for the Kentucky Derby with a victory in Saturday’s $1 million Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Coady Photography.
By Tom Law
Cypress Creek Equine LLC’s Un Ojo shocked the 31,000-strong at Oaklawn Park Saturday and put a New York-sired colt on the road to the Kentucky Derby with a monstrous victory in the $1 million Grade 2 Rebel Stakes.
The 3-year-old son of the late Sequel New York resident Laoban, given his name after losing one eye in a paddock accident as a yearling, shocked the crowd on one of Oaklawn’s biggest days with the half-length win over Ethereal Road as the longest shot on the board at 75-1. The victory earned Un Ojo 50 points toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate – basically an automatic bid – and gave trainer Ricky Courville the biggest stakes win of his career.
“It’s crazy. It’s kind of shared between me and Tony (trainer Tony Dutrow) 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. “Gosh, I feel bad for Tony. The owners kind of decided (on the Rebel). I think Tony was wanting to keep him up there for the Gotham, but they wanted to not go back to a one-turn mile and (Kevin Moody of Cypress Creek Equine) wanted to send him down here and take a shot at the money. He kept saying the two turns is going to be better for us.”
Un Ojo, who had previously collected 4 points with his second in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, moved into second on the leaderboard with 54 total points toward Kentucky Derby eligibility.
Clay Courville, Ricky Courville’s 25-year-old son and assistant trainer, couldn’t hide his excitement for the victory.
“I’ve loved this horse since Day 1,” he said. “I knew he had the talent to be this kind of horse. I always had the confidence in him. He just improved so much every single day, every single race. This is a dream come true. Two strong efforts in his last two races. Closed really well in the last two races with Mr. Anthony Dutrow, who has done a great job with the horse.
“He sent him down here for us to run and he came here. We were hoping he would close good. He kind of laid a little closer than we thought. He grinded away today.”
Bred by Southern Equine Stables LLC and foaled at Fort Christopher’s Thoroughbreds in Fort Edward, Un Ojo is out of the multiple stakes-placed A.P. Indy mare Risk a Chance. Southern Equine purchased Risk a Chance, herself a second generation New York-bred from the Bromans’ program, in foal to Laoban for $40,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.
Risk a Chance is also the dam of Risky Analysis, an active daughter of Freud who is already a five-time winner of over $115,000. Her four-year-old, Chief Commander, a New York-bred colt by Quality Road, sold for $550,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings. Un Ojo has a 2-year-old half-brother by Ghostzapper who sold for $180,000 to Calumet Farm at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.
Un Ojo finished eighth, beaten 24 lengths, in his career debut going 6 furlongs Oct. 9 at Keeneland before a 4 1/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden at Delta Downs a month later. He finished fourth in the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta on Nov. 20 for Ricky Courville before shipping north to Dutrow at Belmont Park. He finished a late-running second in his return to the Empire State in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series in mid-December. Uno Ojo finished second in the Grade 3 Withers at 9 furlongs on a muddy track at Aqueduct Feb. 5 before returning to the Courville barn earlier this week.
Un Ojo earned $600,000 for his Rebel victory to pad his earnings to $776,321.
