Om looks to have pace advantage in Grade I Hollywood Derby
The Grade I Hollywood Derby headlines the final Saturday of the Bing Crosby meeting at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The nine furlong event over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course offers Southern California horseplayers a full field of three-year-olds headlined by 5-2 morning line favorite Om, a quartet of Chad Brown runners shipping in from east of the Mississippi, and a filly trying the boys for the first time. The seventh race on the nine-race card makes up the second leg of the Pick 4 and is slated to go to the post at approximately 3:30 PM local time.
Dan Hendricks conditioned Om returns to Del Mar after a dominating front running performance in the Grade II Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park on October 24th. In that one jockey Gary Stevens set a brisk early pace over a speed favoring turf course and won by a calculated two and a quarter lengths in the end. Once again, the son of Munnings appears to be controlling speed in the $300,000 event as he returns to the site of his dominating performance this summer in the Grade II Del Mar Derby over the same surface. If he does not get pressured early, he will be very tough to beat. However, if Acceptance draws in from the also eligible list, he could be the one to contest Om upfront. The 14-horse field brings a new challenge to the Sareen Family Trust owned colt, but on paper he is the likeliest winner.
The States most prolific grass trainer has sent four from his loaded barn to the 2015 Hollywood Derby, including 5-1 second choice Offering Plan. This New York-bred son of Spring At Last heads to California off a career best performance in the $100,000 English Channel Stakes at Belmont Park last month. In that mile event, the $135,000 OBS April 2014 purchase came from six lengths out of it early to run down a field that included Team Colors and A Lot. The additional furlong and the added ground present significant challenges, but the winner of 3 of 6 heads into the race off a series of steady works. He draws Hall of Famer Mike Smith for his first Grade I try since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year in which he finished a disappointing thirteenth of fourteen.
Fundamental makes his first start on the West Coast for Klaravich Stables and the aforementioned Brown. This son of Arch has competed in three straight events at the mile and an eighth distance, including his most recent effort over a yielding turf course on Breeders’ Cup weekend at Keeneland. In that event, he was shut off by a tiring frontrunner before finishing an unlucky fifth. He will have to step his game up a bit to beat Om, but he comes into the race well and is not without a chance.
March might be the most talented of the four Chad Brown entrants, but the surface and the distance are both serious question marks. The winner of the Woody Stephens and the Bay Shore has proven he can win against graded stakes company, but those were both one-turn events over the main track. In his most recent effort in the English Channel against Offering Plan, he ran an even fourth with regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. On Saturday, he stretches out yet again and ships out of New York for the first time. The presence of California’s leading rider Rafael Bejarano is encouraging, but there are a few too many questions to be answered for my liking.
Money Multiplier is the final of the Brown contingent. This Lookin At Lucky ridgling is just 1 for 7 in his career, with his lone victory coming over the main track at Belmont in May. However, his runner-up effort in the Grade III Saranac at Saratoga this summer at the same distance as the Hollywood Derby gives supporters hope he can compete with this group. Drayden Van Dyke gets the “leg up” on the second of the Klaravich Stables runners.
Trainer Doug O’Neill has had a great 2015 Bing Crosby meeting and he looks to make it that much better as he sends out Sharla Rae to take on the boys for the first time. The daughter of Afleet Alex returns to Southern California after a disappointing tenth place finish in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. She certainly has her work cut out for her in this spot, but she has won her only try over this surface and the cutback in distance should help. James Graham rode her in the Del Mar Oaks and gets the call on her on Saturday.
If you are in search of some value, Irish-bred Mister Brightside may be worth a long look. This son of Lord Shanakill makes his second career start in North America for trainer Jeremy Noseda. After a bit of a slow start in his Stateside debut last month against Om in the Twilight Derby, he found a good spot along the rail and ran a very credible second while chasing the eventual winner. He could regress this start, but if he moves forward on Saturday he should be there in the end. At 12-1 he will be on my tickets.
Closing Bell for Bill Mott and Chiropractor for Tom Proctor are both given credit by Del Mar odds maker Russell Hudak, but appear to be a bit too slow for my liking. However, both conditioners are certainly capable of having their runners ready for the big race. Vigilante, Crittenden, Soul Driver, Royal Albert Hall, and Win the Space are all 20-1 on the line and appear to be overmatched.
The Hollywood Derby was inaugurated in 1938 and held annually at Hollywood Park before the Inglewood venue was demolished. It was won by Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome last year in its first time held in San Diego County and by a plethora of thoroughbred greats before being moved to Del Mar. Bill Shoemaker has the most wins as a rider having finished first an amazing eight times, while trainer Charlie Whittingham has won the event a record four times. The 2015 rendition should be a great one!