Showdown Brewing in Santa Anita Derby
Once again, the Santa Anita Derby has delivered a field high on star power. California's final 2014 Kentucky Derby prep race features three of the country's top 3-year-olds duking it out in what could be a preview of next month's Run For The Roses.
The 6/5 morning-line favorite is California Chrome, a modestly-bred colt who has emerged as arguably the top Derby prospect on the West Coast. Trained by Art Sherman, California Chrome was last seen jogging home in the San Felipe well clear of second-place finisher Midnight Hawk, who went on to run second in the Sunland Derby. He's definitely Southern California's buzz horse, but he won't have it easy this weekend.
Candy Boy, the 9/5 second choice, has been flattered since his win in February's Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Chitu and Midnight Hawk, the second and third-place finishers that day, ran 1-2 at Sunland, and the John Sadler trainee has been working well for Saturday's feature. Despite his impressive victory last out, though, Candy Boy is far from assured of a spot in the Derby starting gate due to a relative lack of points. He likely needs to hit the board Saturday to punch his ticket to Louisville.
A horse that is safely in the Derby field, though, is 3-1 third choice Hoppertunity. He beat a star-studded field in the Rebel at Oaklawn Park in his last outing, topping Tapiture, Ride On Curlin, and Strong Mandate, among others. His recent five-furlong drill at Santa Anita featured an impressive gallop-out, and Bob Baffert sees it fit to run the son of Any Given Saturday off fairly short rest.
The rest of the eight-horse field includes several familiar faces. Schoolofhardrocks ran fourth off a long layoff last out in the San Felipe, Friendswith K Mill comes in off a strong second to The Admiral last out in allowance company, and the hard-knocking Rprettyboyfloyd, who has never finished worse than third in five career starts (with losses to Bayern, Chelios, and Kobe's Back, among others), will look to break his maiden in a Grade 1 setting.
Big Tire and Dublin Up complete the field, which will go postward at approximately 3:30 p.m. Pacific time Saturday afternoon. The Santa Anita Derby headlines an action-packed day at the Great Race Place, one that includes a total of five stakes races.