Chip Honcho Confirmed His Growth and Took the Ohio Derby
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In a brilliant 1-2 finish for the stallion Connect, he defeated Ocelli, ridden by José Ortíz, by 1 length
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio (Special for Turf Diario).– The Ohio Derby (G3-1,800 m, dirt) offered this Saturday an interesting rematch among several of the recent protagonists of the American Triple Crown, and it was Chip Honchowho ultimately capitalized on the opportunity to achieve the most important victory of his career.
The son of Connect, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by José Ortiz, defeated Ocelli by 1 length, completing an outstanding 1-2 finish for the production of his sire in a race endowed with $500,000 in purses.
Finishing third, 3 1/4 lengths back, was Trendsetter (Modernist), previous winner of the Lexington Stakes (G3), while the favorite Desert Gate (Omaha Beach) had to settle for fourth place after being involved in the pace during the first part of the journey.
Chip Honcho came into the commitment following a demanding stakes campaign in which he had faced several of the best 3-year-olds of the season. Third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) behind Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), he was looking to get back on the winning track after a series of prominent performances without managing to return to the winner's circle since the Gun Runner Stakes (L) held last December.
The race did not turn out easy. The dark bay showed sharpness in the opening meters, and Ortiz had to work to get him to relax behind Robusta (Accelerate), Desert Gate, and Albus (Yaupon). Already in the final turn, the advance of Ocelli forced the jockey to wait patiently while searching for room to launch his bid.
"Tyler made a very good move with Ocelli and I had to wait a bit longer than ideal," Ortiz explained. "He took my position for a moment and then I had to look outside, but fortunately, I had the best horse in the race."
Ocelli, who was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Preakness and a third in the Kentucky Derby (G1), made a sustained run from the back of the pack to hit the front before entering the stretch. However, the effort took its toll in the end, and Chip Honcho found sufficient energy to catch him in the decisive stages.
The winner covered the 1,800 meters in 1m51s18/100 over a fast track, following fractions of 22s72/100, 47s30/100, and 1m12s36/100.
Defending the silks of Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia, Chip Honchoboosted his earnings to $800,475 and brought his record to 3 victories, 2 seconds, and 1 third-place finish from 8 lifetime presentations.
Bred in Kentucky by Venneri Racing and Tony Fanticola, the winner is a son of Connect and Miss My Rose, a daughter of European champion Magician (Galilee). Acquired for $210,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July 2024 sale, he now begins to establish himself as one of the most interesting routers of his crop.
The result also represented excellent news for Connect, a stallion who was recently sold to continue his stud career in Turkey after standing at Lane's End Farm since 2018. The exacta achieved by his sons in a race of the magnitude of the Ohio Derby provides valuable support for his breeding legacy.
