Patriot Spirit Makes All, Draws Off In Illinois Derby Revival

Patriot Spirit landed the resurrected Illinois Derby in fine style Sunday at Hawthorne Race Course, leading at every point of call en route to victory by 5 3/4 lengths in a tour-de-force performance under Julio Felix.

The Constitution colt sprinted out to lead early while maintaining a clear advantage for the entire 1 1/8 miles of the $200,000 test last run in 2017. After opening a 1 1/2 length lead for the first quarter mile in :23.50, he laid down fractions of :47.78, 1:11.58, and 1:37.01 through a mile with runner-up Real Men Violin and third-place finisher Woodcourt chasing in vain. Drawing off down the stretch, he finished the trip in 1:50.43 and returned $12.60 for the victory.

Favorite Real Men Violin finished 10 3/4 lengths to the good of Woodcourt, who was followed across the finish line by Le Gris and Raguel.

Trained by longtime Illinois trainer Michael Campbell for Mellon Patch Inc., Patriot Spirit earned his second stakes win after taking the Inaugural at 2023 Tampa Bay Downs in December to cap his juvenile season. He had a less auspicious start to his sophomore campaign, starting Feb. 10 in the Sam F Davis (G3) at the Oldsmar, Fla. track, where he was ninth, beaten more than 15 lengths. He followed with a third-place finish in the Hutcheson March 16 at Gulfstream Park, but was clearly the class over four overmatched rivals Sunday.

 Trainer Mike Campbell has always felt Patriot Spirit had a lot of potential.

“I thought he would run like that, without a doubt," he said. "You know, everybody thinks young horses start out perfect, and they don’t. They make mistakes, too. I started him two times in races over seven-eighths of a mile. The first time the saddle slipped a bit and he got excited, and he ran off with the bridle. That was a mistake. Then I had to regroup and make sure he got a lesson in the next race. That’s what he did. He won the Inaugural. Then we came back and I tried him at a mile and an eighth in one of the preps for the Kentucky Derby. I thought he was a Derby prep horse without a doubt. But he didn’t break right and it was a mess. Then he came back in the Hutchinson. He should have won the race. He didn’t break right. But going a mile and an eighth, he breaks better.

“It’s great to come back to Illinois and win a race like the Illinois Derby, But I have to tell you, training for the Mellons is unbelievable. I love being part of it. I love being part of racing. I love all the horsemen in Illinois. But I particularly love all the owners and trainers because, without them, we have nothing.

“I always thought this horse could be syndicated. If I told you what I I asked Mr. Mellon to do relative to keeping this horse and the offer that we were made on him, you would say ‘Mike, your are out of your mind.’ But we partially achieved what we set out to do today.”

Patriot Spirit has a 3-0-1 record from seven career starts. The $120,000 winner's share of the Illinois Derby purse increased his lifetime bankroll to $208,300.

The Illinois Derby serves as an official prep for this year’s Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course. Hawthorne will pay for Patriot Spirit's entry fee into the middle jewel of the Triple Crown should his connection choose to run in the May 18 classic.

“(Hawthorne President Tim) Carey promised that if we were going to the Preakness, he would pay our way," Campbell said. "That’s step number one. Julio would like to go there. We like the crabs and all the seafood out there. Then we are looking at the Iowa Derby and the Ohio Derby.

Bred in Kentucky by Blue Heaven Farm from Grade 1 winner Mistical Plan, by Game Plan, Patriot Spirit was a $235,000 purchase by George Mellon at the 2023 OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he was presented by Clary Bloodstock.