Ocho Ocho Ocho goes to turf for Penn Mile

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Grantville, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Ocho Ocho Ocho, winner of last year's Delta Downs Jackpot, will make his turf debut in Saturday's third edition of the $500,000 Penn Mile for 3-year-olds at Penn National Race Course.

Owned by D P Racing, Ocho Ocho Ocho will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith from post 4 in the 11-horse field and is 5-1 in the morning line.

Trained by Jim Cassidy, Ocho Ocho Ocho was 14th in the Kentucky Derby, 15 1/2 lengths behind American Pharoah.

"The trip was very good. I thought Elvis (Trujillo) rode him perfect," Cassidy said after the Derby. "At the top of the stretch I got a little excited but he just can't go that far. He was fine from the rail, fine heading over there, handled the crowd. I had no excuses whatsoever but I kind of thought going in that I had maybe a mile and an eighth at best."

This year, Ocho Ocho Ocho was eighth in the San Felipe at Santa Anita and third in Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes. The colt comes into Saturday with wins in half of his six career starts for $793,850.

Breaking from post 3 will be Papacoolpapacool, 4-1 in the program, with Elvis Trujillo getting the mount. The gelding is trained by Phil D'Amato for Cellist Racing Group and Ali Nilforushan.

Papacoolpapacool, with seven of eight career starts on grass, is on a three race win streak having won Santa Anita's La Puente and Pasadena Stakes along with an allowance race. The 3-year-old has earned $192,750 with four wins. This will be his first start outside of California.

Here is the Penn Mile field in post position order: Granny's Kitten, Jose Ortiz, 6-1; Woodwin W, Jevian Toledo, 6-1; Papacoolpapacool, Elvis Trujillo, 4-1; Ocho Ocho Ocho, Mike Smith, 5-1; Comanche's Storm, Rosemary Homeister Jr., 15-1; Night Prowler, Javier Castellano, 3-1; High Noon Rider, Eddie Castro, 15-1; Force the Pass, Joel Rosario; 6-1; My Point Exactly, Juan Leyva, 15-1; Tuba, Kerwin Clark, 20-1 and Gallery, Jose Lezcano, 30-1.

Post time for the Penn Mile will be approximately 7:22 p.m. ET.