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Pleasant Prince finishes on right side of Ohio Derby photo Denied greater glory earlier in the year when losing the Florida Derby (G1) by a nose, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's PLEASANT PRINCE (Indy King) was involved in another photo-finish thriller in Saturday's $100,000 Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown. This time, the Wesley Ward-trained colt came out on top when edging Worldly (A.P. Indy) as the 9-5 favorite in a field of 10. The winner returned $5.60, $3 and $2.40. Outsider Slewzoom (Slew City Slew) was sent to the early lead, tracked closely by 5-2 second choice Mykindacandy (Candy Ride [Arg]). After Slewzoom reached the opening quarter in :24, Mykindacandy began to advance and reached the half a head on top in :48, and the three-quarter mark in 1:12 3/5 after extending his lead to a length. Pleasant Prince, meanwhile, was never more than 3 1/4 lengths off the leader at any point, and began to be urged by jockey Alex Solis rounding the second turn. Worldly was also close by at this point, but had endured a four-to-five wide trip throughout. In the stretch, Mykindacandy clung to a diminishing lead as 17-1 chance Capitol Appeal (Successful Appeal) came on along with Worldly and Pleasant Prince. With Mykindacandy wilting along the rail, Pleasant Prince found his best stride late and split Capitol Appeal and Worldly to emerge victorious at the line. The final time for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track was 1:43 4/5. Worldly, the 9-2 fourth choice, returned $4.80 and $3.60. He finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Capitol Appeal, who gave back $7.40. Mykindacandy finished 1 1/4 lengths behind in fourth and was followed under the wire by Slewzoom, Max Silverhammer (Wild and Wicked), Dixie Band (Dixie Union), Scottkeith'skitten (Kitten's Joy), Broke by Noon (Eurosilver) and Chocho Jr. (Malabar Gold). The exacta was worth $23.20, the trifecta $222.40, and the 7-9-8-5 superfecta paid $763.60. Pleasant Prince lost his first two starts in maiden claimers before graduating in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs last November. A distant fourth in the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) three starts later, the chestnut led briefly before bowing to Ice Box (Pulpit) by a nose in the Florida Derby. Pleasant Prince failed to earn sufficient graded earnings to participate in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after running seventh in the Blue Grass S. (G1) and third in the Derby Trial S. (G3) in his next two starts, but contested the May 15 Preakness S. (G1) where he was always far back and finished 11th in a field of 12. Pleasant Prince, who is expected to move on to the August 28 Travers S. (G1) at Saratoga, has now compiled a mark of 11-2-2-2, $284,398. Bred in Florida by Adena Springs, Pleasant Prince was purchased for $30,000 as an OBS August yearling. Produced from the unraced Archduchess (Pleasant Tap), a half-sister to multiple Canadian Grade 3 winner Mark One (Alphabet Soup), stakes winner Daiwa Carson (Carson City) and the Grade 2-placed Golden Corona (Gulch), Pleasant Prince counts as half-siblings the unraced juvenile colt Arch's Brew (Milwaukee Brew) and a yearling colt by Run Production. Pleasant Prince counts as his fourth dam Missy Baba (*My Babu), the dam of leading sire Raja Baba (Bold Ruler), Broodmare of the Year Toll Booth (Buckpasser) and the Grade 1-winning Sauce Boat (Key to the Mint). Other prominent descendants of Missy Baba include Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), 1980 champion sprinter Plugged Nickle (Key to the Mint), French champion Gay Mecene (*Vaguely Noble) and English highweight Wolfhound (Nureyev).
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