Zakaroff posts huge upset in El Camino Real Derby

The longest shot on the board, Zakaroff split horses in midstretch and ran down even money favorite Ann Arbor Eddie to upset the $200,000 Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby.

The break was good for all except Sheer Flattery, who broke inward and bumped Tribal Storm. Ann Arbor Eddie set off for the early lead but was soon passed by Tribal Storm and Kona Dreams. With those two now occupying the first and second running positions, Ann Arbor Eddie settled in third on the rail. Sheer Flattery raced in fourth to the inside of Colonel Samsen. Zakaroff was immediately behind them with More Power to Him trailing the field by several lengths.

Tribal Storm, closely hounded by Kona Dreams and Ann Arbor Eddie, set moderate fractions of :23.95 and :49.03 to open up the nine furlong event. As they came to the half mile pole, Ann Arbor Eddie moved up along the rail and Kona Dreams kept pace to the outside to make it three across the track. Behind them from the rail out, Zakaroff, Sheer Flattery, and Colonel Samsen were also lined up three abreast with More Power to Him continuing to bring up the rear.

Turning for home, Ann Arbor Eddie, who’d had the best trip thus far, seized the lead from Tribal Storm. Kona Dreams drifted wide off the turn, leaving a wide open seam for Zakaroff to come off the rail and put in a bid.

As Zakaroff drew on even terms with Ann Arbor Eddie, that one drifted out to engage him, causing Abel Cedillo to have to check Tribal Storm. At the wire, Zakaroff had Ann Arbor Eddie’s number by a half length. Due to losing momentum in deep stretch, Tribal Storm lost third to More Power to Him. Colonel Samsen, Kona Dreams, and Sheer Flattery rounded out the order of finish.

Following the finish of the race, the stewards conducted an inquiry into the stretch run. After reviewing the film, the most damning angle being the rear view in which the foul was most obvious, the stewards concluded that Ann Arbor Eddie drifting out to engage Zakaroff had impeded Tribal Storm. Thus, they disqualified the even money favorite from second to fourth, bumping More Power to Him from third to second and Tribal Storm from fourth to third.

Winning jockey Kyle Frey indicated that his race strategy was pretty simply. "Strategy wise he [trainer Steven Specht] just wanted me to sit comfortably,’ he said. “I thought we'd be sitting farther off but they were walking up front so we were just sitting right there I tried just not to mess it up."

Off at 49-1 odds, Zakaroff paid $99.60, $34.20, and $11.00. Five-to-one shot More Power to Him returned $6.40 and $4.00, and Tribal Storm, off at 10-1 odds, returned $5.20. The $1 exacta paid $191.80, the $1 trifecta returned $911.20, and the $1 superfecta was worth $2,688.30.

By Slew’s Tiznow out of the Mr. Greeley mare Grand Advice, Zakaroff was bred by Eagle Ridge Racing LLC. He is owned by Antone Metaxas. A local runner, Zakaroff has made all six career starts at Golden Gate Fields. He most recently finished fifth in the track’s California Derby, which was won by So Conflated. More Power to Him and Colonel Samsen, who were both also in the El Camino Real Derby, ran second and third respectively in that event. Today’s win gave Zakaroff his first career graded stakes victory and improved his record to 6: 2-1-1 for purse earnings of $148,120.

Winning trainer Steven Specht admitted post-race that the El Camino hadn’t been his ideal spot for Zakaroff. “They didn't give him much consideration. He was only beaten 4 lengths last time (a 5th place finish in the California Derby) and he was stuck down inside and went through a couple tight spots but I really thought this race was too far for him, I'm not going to lie, I figured the horse is a mile, mile and a sixteenth horse tops but he (Frey) got him in the clear turning for home, and he showed a little extra that I didn't think he had,” he said.

“I entered him in a first condition allowance sprint but the race didn't go and I had him nominated to this race,” Specht continued. “It was farther than I thought he wanted to go so I got stuck into running here, not a bad stick.”

Jockey Frey reiterated the distance questions post-race. "Steve mentioned he thought it was too far for him but with how easy the fractions were and how calm the horse was, we were able to get out so smooth at the perfect time,” he explained. “I almost thought I caught the leader sleeping but when we got up there we had so much momentum going he went by very easily."

Additional reporting by Don August