Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Spotlight on Golden Gate’s prep

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 5 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

While the El Camino Real Derby no longer sports graded stakes status, and its purse declined by half to $100,000 for Saturday’s running, a field comparable in quality to recent years’ past has assembled to run for 2018 Kentucky Derby points.

“I think it lost its luster a bit,” said Matt Dinerman, who recently started calling the races at Golden Gate Fields, “but at the same time people here are excited for it, and it’s always nice to have the spotlight shine on us with these 3-year-olds.

“Maybe there’s a horse in here that will win the race and go on to run big somewhere else. In that regard, it’s exciting for us to have a race like this.”

It seems as though any of four horses could be that prospect for the Northern California track, which hosts the only domestic Derby prep on synthetic outside of Turfway Park’s Jeff Ruby Steaks (formerly the Spiral Stakes) set for March 17.

Choo Choo is the anticipated favorite off his victory in the Jan. 20 California Derby over this surface. He’s trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who could have a huge Saturday ahead with Instilled Regard the expected top choice in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Choo Choo has remained at Golden Gate to train between races.

“To see him lose all that ground on the first turn and the far turn and still win with something left in the tank, that was very impressive,” said Dinerman, who doubles as Golden Gate’s racing analyst. “Obviously Southern California horses that have come up here for stakes have done very, very well recently. To see him continue that trend to me was an indication that he’s certainly the one to beat heading into the race. I just think he has a lot of class to him.”

While Choo Choo could move forward in the El Camino Real Derby, Dinerman doesn’t necessarily anticipate him developing into a Kentucky Derby prospect. The colt is by English Channel, “so with that into the pedigree wouldn’t surprise me if he turns into a better turf or synthetic horse.” Still, Dinerman added, “if he wins this race, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t try a solid Derby prep, or even (at Turfway Park) then try the Derby and see what happens.”

Mugaritz ran second by 1 3/4 lengths in the California Derby, rating off the pace that time after going wire-to-wire in his two previous starts, both wins at Golden Gate.

“That’s encouraging, because he has to go another 1/16th of a mile” this time, Dinerman said. “I looked at that horse and thought unless he figures out a way to relax, I don’t know how much farther he wants to go after he won his race before the (California) Derby. To see him relax and run on was a big positive for him.”

Two other El Camino Real Derby contenders that stick out are City Plan, who won Golden Gate’s Gold Rush Stakes two starts back, and Paved, a filly possible to run off a 1 1/8-mile maiden victory on grass. Either could go as the second betting choice, with City Plan entering off a fifth-place effort in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes won Dec. 6 by McKinzie.

“This is a decent horse,” Dinerman said. “He’s really well-bred — a Godolphin-bred. And the horse he beat is no slouch either. I think he’ll go a mile and an eighth. I don’t know if I’ll pick him yet. But I think City Plan can rebound after that poor effort in the Sham because he likes this track.”

Romans still searching

Entering 2018, trainer Dale Romans appeared loaded with promising 2-year-old stakes winner Dak Attack returning, Tiz Mischief second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and both Free Drop Billy and Hollywood Star working well toward rebound efforts out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Romans is still looking for a winner, however, after each of those were defeated and Dak Attack subsequently moved off the trail due to shin troubles. The trainer told the Daily Racing Form he’ll try again in Monday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes, sending Jerome Stakes runner-up Seven Trumpets. Promises Fulfilled, who was third in the Kentucky Jockey Club, could also make the trip to Arkansas.

Free Drop Billy and Tiz Mischief, who were second and third, respectively, in the Grade 2 Holy Bull, may return in Gulfstream Park’s next prep, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, on March 3. Romans also saddled Hollywood Star before a fourth-place finish in last weekend’s Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

As for what’s ahead with that colt, “I’m open to suggestions,” Romans told DRF.

The ‘Bolt Show’ continues

In his fourth workout of the year, multiple Grade 1 winner Bolt d’Oro kicked through five furlongs Wednesday in a bullet 59.40 seconds at Santa Anita Park, tracking down a workmate just before the wire in a drill that upped his training toward a season debut.

Ticketed for the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe on March 10, the son of Medaglia d’Oro was the only horse to work in under 1:00 at that distance.

Derby links

• Steve Haskin’s latest Derby Dozen, as is often the case, includes a few newsworthy tidbits, including one we consider especially noteworthy: While Analyze It is back on the work tab and nominated to the Triple Crown, trainer Chad Brown says there are no plans to bring the budding turf star over to the dirt this spring.

• Another weekend of maiden special weight races means another Steve Asmussen trainee to consider on the Derby trail. This time it’s Tenfold, who debuted a dominant winner going two turns at Oaklawn Park, and the Wynn Las Vegas quickly responded by putting the Curlin colt on the board. We’ve got all the current Kentucky Derby odds. 

• Trainer D. Wayne Lukas confirmed Bravazo, an impressive allowance winner last out at Oaklawn Park, will remain in as a contender for Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star. The Southwest — likely to be a softer spot, but worth far fewer Derby qualifying points — was also considered. Lukas has a second Risen Star entrant who’s 50-50 to run.

The works

Combatant — A runner-up in both the Springboard Mile and Smarty Jones Stakes, he’ll be looking for more in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Monday. In a final tune-up at Oaklawn Park, the Asmussen trainee traveled a half mile in 50.60 seconds (13/33) over

Curly’s Rocket — He ran to within a nose of Nero before breaking his maiden next out, continuing to improve for Bob Baffert, who like Asmussen seems to have a plethora of 3-year-olds ready to step up to the stakes level. In a first work back, this son of Into Mischief drilled 5/8 in 1:00.60 (8/29) Wednesday at Santa Anita.

New York Central — Highly regarded coming into the New Year, but defeated last out in a rather slow allowance Jan. 13 at Oaklawn, it’s possible this could be another headed to the Derby trail. Also from the Asmussen barn, he has worked consistently, with Wednesday’s half mile in 50.40 (11/33) in Arkansas.

In case you missed it…

Tuesday’s Derby Daily report focused on Noble Indy, the latest in a line of Todd Pletcher-trained allowance winners hitting the Derby trail, a pattern that already produced Audible and Vino Rosso.

• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.