Chiropractor Overhauls Om in Hollywood Derby

Chiropractor, a 14-1 longshot under Corey Nakatani, rallied into contention from between horses entering the stretch to overhaul even-money choice Om and then held off the determined challenge of March to win the Grade I $300,000 Hollywood Derby Saturday at Del Mar.

 

Giving the Glen Hill Farm of 96-year-old Leonard Lavin its second stakes success of the afternoon, Chiropractor hit the wire a head in front of March, a 12-1 shot piloted by Rafael Bejarano. Om, the 4-5 favorite with Gary Stevens coming into the event off impressive triumphs in the Del Mar Derby and Twilight Derby, ran a game race to be third, a half-length behind the runner-up and the same margin in front of fourth-place Fundamental in the field of 14 three-year-olds.

 

Chiropractor, trained by Tom Proctor, ran the nine furlongs on the grass in 1:48.87 and returned $30.80, $18 and $6 after recording his third victory in seven starts. First money of $180,000 increased the bankroll of the Kitten’s Joy gelding to $273,100. The Hollywood Derby marked his stakes debut.

 

March paid $14.80 and $6.80, while Om returned $2.60 to show. Withdrawn from the original field was Vigilante.

 

Earlier in the day, Glen Hill Farm’s Family Meeting, a 37-1 outsider ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, rallied from far back to outfinish 6-1 Mokat and win the Grade III $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes by three-quarters of a length.

 

Third in the field of a dozen two-year-old fillies was Sutton’s Smile, with Mirage fourth. Coppa was withdrawn from the original field.

 

Family Meeting, a daughter of Sky Mesa trained by Proctor, ran the mile over the grass in 1:37.14 and returned $76.60, $33.60 and $13.80 after her second win in three starts. She had broken her maiden second time out at Laurel race course in Maryland three weeks ago. First money of $60,000 increased her career earnings to $84,840.

 

Runner-up Mokat paid $8 and $6.80, while Sutton’s Smile returned $8.20 to show. Previously unbeaten Riri, the 2-1 favorite after two wins, was tenth.

 

 

COREY NAKATANI (Chiropractor, winner) – “What a great outfit to ride for. Tom (trainer Tom Proctor) always has them ready. I asked him if he wanted me to do anything special (it was Nakatani’s first time on the horse), but he said, no, just ride your race. Get him to settle and you’ll be fine. With these kind of races, the pace is the key. And that worked well for us today. The colt was full of himself today and when it came time he fired.”

RAFAEL BEJARANO (March, second) – “A good race for him. No excuses for me. We were in a good spot; we had a good trip. We were just outfinished.”

GARY STEVENS (Om, third) – “It was a super effort by this horse today. He threw a fit in the starting gate. We had all kinds of problems; he kicked the you-know-what out of it. He was good during the running though. He wasn’t pulling. He ran his race and ran well. We just got beat.” 

AIMEE DOLLASE, assistant to Tom Proctor (Chiropractor, winner) – “Tremendous race. Very good ride. Nice horse. Tom had a lot of confidence in him, that’s why we went in this race. Very good day. Just awesome.”

 

 

FRACTIONS:  :23.51  :47.41  1:12.23  1:37.04  1:48.04

 

 

This is the second time the Hollywood Derby has been run at Del Mar. Previously, it had been run 73 times at Hollywood Park.

 

This is the first stakes win of the meeting for rider Nakatani. He now has won 104 stakes at Del Mar, second most of all time.

 

This is the second stakes win of the meet for trainer Proctor. He now has won 13 stakes at Del Mar.