Kentucky Derby 2020 Radar: Anneau d'Or to Santa Anita

Be it the travel or track surface, trainer Blaine Wright hasn’t figured out what caused Anneau d’Or’s dull showing when last seen running ninth on Feb. 15 in the second division of Fair Grounds’ Risen Star Stakes (G2).

“But he’s obviously a better horse than that,” added Wright, who has the 3-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro back in California preparing for his final 2020 Kentucky Derby prep.

After Anneau d’Or breezed a half mile Saturday in 49 seconds, Wright confirmed that connections are sticking with the April 4 Santa Anita Derby (G1) as a potential springboard to the Triple Crown series.

None of the major qualifiers are easy, of course. But the task seems especially tall after Authentic’s front-running victory in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) all but assured he’ll be the Santa Anita Derby favorite. Honor A. P. was also a promising second off the layoff and figures to wheel back in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Anneau d’Or, who broke his maiden on Golden Gate’s turf, jumped straight to the highest level after that debut, finishing a narrow second to Storm the Court in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was also just beaten by Thousand Words in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) to cap his 2-year-old season.

Back in the Risen Star, the Peter Redekop runner traveled east for a race that offered 50 qualifying points to its winner — enough to lock up a Kentucky Derby spot early. Anneau d’Or also sported blinkers for the first time in hopes that could get him over the top in another would-be stretch duel. 

Anneau d’Or didn’t ultimately factor late in the going, but he’ll keep the blinkers on for the Santa Anita Derby.

“We worked him in them this morning,” Wright said Saturday. “The horse worked too good with them before the race. We have no idea why he ran so bad. He just seemed to go through the motions. I know he got into a tangle early. Live and die by the sword — we wanted to make that change.

“They’re not huge cups on him. They’re just little rider-hiders that are a half-inch long. I’m 100% thinking that’s not the case there. We’re moving on and just going to draw a line through that race.”

A $480,000 auction purchase as a 2-year-old, Anneau d’Or is 4: 1-2-0 in his brief career. With 12 Derby qualifying points earned thus far, he’ll need a win or runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Derby to assure a trip to Churchill Downs, while third would put him on the bubble with the top-four finishers paid out on a 100-40-20-10 scale.

Wright also said Juan Hernandez, who rode Anneau d'Or in his first three starts, will reassume the mount. Joel Rosario had the Risen Star assignment.

“He’s got along with the horse and breezed him just about every time," Wright said of Hernandez. "It worked out good for us three times, and we’re hoping to get back there.”

2020 Santa Anita Derby (G1)