Faith in Driven One pays off in 9th start

Driven One’s owners and trainer had faith in him from the beginning, and his first race as a 2-year-old last year came in the Arlington-Washington Futurity, where the colt by Ride On Curlin finished fifth and earned $2,205. The $22,000 OBS June 2-year-old started seven more times with just a lone second to show for his efforts, but his connections didn’t lose their faith, and start No. 9 at Horseshoe Indianapolis yesterday came in a $34,000 maiden special.

With Santo Sanjur aboard in the one-mile turf race, Driven One broke well despite the No. 11 post, was wide down the backstretch in fifth place, made a strong run coming to the final turn and caught the leaders, then proved best in the stretch to break his maiden by a neck.

The colt bred by Michael Miranda paid $13.80 after reaching the wire in 1:38.25 and earned a check for $20,400. He received his best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure – an 86 – pointing to better things to come, and became winner No. 8 from 18 starters for Ride On Curlin this year.