Fresu rides Indiana Derby day trio including Stronghold

Antonio Fresu, a fourth-generation jockey from Italy, makes the next stop on his American adventure riding Saturday on Horseshoe Indianapolis’ showcase card.

Fresu’s three mounts include Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold, the 2-1 favorite in the Indiana Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds, and California’s Chandelier (G2) winner Chatalas, making her 2024 debut in the co-featured Indiana Derby (G3) for 3-year-old fillies. He also rides multiple graded-stakes winner Masteroffoxhounds for the first time in the $100,000 Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial on turf for Phil D’Amato, also the trainer of Stronghold.

Fresu was riding in his native Italy and spending the winters in Dubai when prominent American trainer Doug O’Neill and the jockey’s good friend and Dubai agent, Michael Adolphson, encouraged him to try America. Fresu made the jump in the spring of 2023, and soon became one of California’s leading riders.

“Michael was always pushing me to come here, was always telling me about it,” Fresu said. “He put me in contact with Doug O’Neill, and Doug said, ‘You really should come.’ I took my chance and decided to move. It worked out quite well, I would say. After three months we went to Del Mar, and I didn’t want to leave anymore.

“America is different from what you see outside than inside. I always watched races here, but to be here is kind of different. To me it’s more fun. I like it. I like new experiences. That’s why I like to go to other racetracks to visit and try to do well.”

The Santa Anita Derby, in which Eric and Sharon Waller’s homebred Stronghold beat Imagination by a neck, was Fresu’s first Grade 1 victory in America.

“It’s a prestigious race, we were really happy because that was the ticket to go to the Kentucky Derby, too,” Fresu said. “The horse fought really hard to the wire to win that race. That was amazing. He was in top form that day, and hopefully he can repeat it in the Indiana Derby.”

Winning the Santa Anita Derby, “put you in the eye of people even outside California” he said. “It’s a goal to win Grade 1s. To win races like this is why you work so hard. That’s when it pays off.”

Fresu believes travel, including to New Mexico for a victory in the Sunland Derby (G3), contributed to Stronghold’s seventh place in the Kentucky Derby.

“The horse is feeling great, and he’s good to go again,” Fresu said. “I thought the horse ran great from his position in the gate, post 18. I was right behind the speed. At the quarter pole, I made a move because I was traveling really well. The horse went for a bit and then flattened out. The trip in the Kentucky Derby is a little longer, and he just kind of tired the last furlong. I was really happy the way he ran. Even though we weren’t successful that day, finishing seventh was great, really.”

He thinks the Indiana Derby’s 1 1/16-mile distance off a layoff “is perfect.”

Chatalas was sent by trainer Mark Glatt to his friend and Kentucky-based trainer Grant Forster a few weeks ago for a Midwest and East Coast campaign. This is her first start since she was a close second in a turf stakes Dec. 29 at Santa Anita. That followed a fourth – but moved up to third upon the disqualification of the horse that impeded her in the stretch – in Los Alamitos’ Starlet (G2), which followed a very troubled ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies when she was taken out of her game early.

‘We were very unlucky in the Breeders’ Cup,” Fresu said. “I was basically smashed out of the gate and she couldn’t do any good after that. I have a good feeling that she’s going to run a big race.”

Masteroffoxhounds hasn’t raced since he faded to last of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 4 at Del Mar. The Schuster also is his first start outside of California since he came over from Ireland in 2020.

“I breezed him a couple of times; the horse seems in form and ready to go,” Fresu said. “He’s an older horse but still on his game.”

Fresu says he’s excited about his first trip to Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“I watch races from there,” he said. “On the TV, the track looks very nice. It seems a fair track. You can win on the front or come from off the pace. I’m really looking forward to being there and experiencing it. The timing is perfect for me. We planned this three weeks ago. For me, it’s a pleasure to experience a new track in America. I’ve been in Kentucky twice. I had a great time at Churchill for Derby week, when I had two winners. I was there last week for a couple of days and to win again (the Maxfield Overnight Stakes on the O’Neill-trained Raging Torrent) was nice. It’s nice to be outside the state of California and to create new contacts.”

Also coming from California to ride in the Indiana Derby is Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who will be aboard the O’Neill-trained E J Won the Cup, who was third in the Santa Anita Derby between wins in the Turf Paradise Derby and the Texas Derby.

Smith was in Greece when reached via text for comment about E J Won the Cup, texting back, “He’s doing great and getting better with every start. Looking forward to this race and the future to come.”