BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Turf specialist Otago will return off a short lay-off and start on synthetic for the first time Saturday night at Turfway Park in the $250,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes going a mile. In his first race since finishing second to Major Dude in the $145,000 Artie Schiller on the Aqueduct turf on Oct. 11, the Kelsey Danner-trained Florida-bred is one of 13 entered, including one on the also eligible.
Otago looks for his second stakes victory of the year having won the $104,000 Cliff Hanger going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Monmouth Park grass in May. He has two seconds in four starts since, including in the Oct. 11 Prairie Bayou. Otago was also second to Redistricting in the $150,000 Monmouth Stakes going nine furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park on June 14.
Owned throughout his 20-race career by Crown’s Way Racing, NBS Stable, Edward Delava and Eli Diamart, Otago has earned $364,025 from five wins, six seconds and two thirds.
He has only two starts on a main track, both times in races taken off the turf. In his second career start, he won a maiden special weight in the slop at Pimlico in September of 2022 followed directly by a second in the $150,000 Laurel Futurity run over a sloppy track at Laurel Park three weeks later.
Otago is by Speightstown out of Mom’s Deputy, by War Chant and was bred in Florida by Courtney Meagher and Speightstown Syndicate. NBS and John Ballantyne purchased Otago for $375,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select Sale of 2-year-olds in training where he was consigned by L.G.
Adam Beschizza has mount on Otago from post nine.
The field includes Dresden Row and Cameo Performance, the first and third-place finishers respectively in the Grade 3 Autumn Stakes run over nine furlongs on the all-weather main track at Woodbine on Nov. 8.
Dresden Row is trained by Lorne Richards and has earned $448,803 for owners Jeffrey Bloom’s Bloom Racing Stable and True North Stable while never finishing out of the top three in 15 career starts. In addition to the Autumn Stakes, his six career wins include victories in last year’s Grade 3 Ontario Derby and Grade 3 Durham Cup, both at Woodbine Racetrack. In his only lifetime start outside of Woodbine, the 4-year-old colt was second to Paros in last year’s Prairie Bayou at Turfway.
Dresden Row is by Lord Nelson will be ridden from post five by Ryan Munger.
Cameo Performance looks for his first win since taking the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby at Ellis Park in September of last year. In his six starts since, his best finish came when second to English Chunnel in a second level allowance going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on a good turf at Keeneland on Oct. 8.
The 4-year-old gelding is owned by Qatar Racing LLC, Fergus Galvin and Marc Detampel and has earned $413,355 from two wins in 12 starts.
Trainer Brendan Walsh has given the riding assignment to Irad Ortiz Jr. and they have post three.
Rounding out the field are Wagstaff and jockey Orlando Bocachica, Horsepower will have Samuel Marin aboard, Theismann will be ridden by Danny Sheehy, Rodolfo Guerra has the call on Best Actor, Quatrocentro will be guided by Julien Leparoux, Joseph D. Ramos takes the reins on Henro, Chiron with Gabriel Saez in the irons, Luan Machado rides Surly Furious and jockey Flavien Prat will be in the saddle for Encino. Naptown is on the also-eligible list.
Return to the December 9 issue of Wire to Wire
