Formidable Man powers home to victory in Del Mar Derby

Formidable Man came running hard in the lane and got the job done by a half-length Sunday in the 78th edition of the Grade 2, $300,500 Del Mar Derby.

The 3-year-old colt by City of Light covered 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.87 and paid $4.40 to his backers as the 6-5 favorite.

Click here for Del Mar entries and results.

Owned by William and Suzanne Warren, who campaigned Saint Liam to the 2005 horse-of-the-year award, Formidable Man was handled by jockey Umberto Rispoli for trainer Michael McCarthy.

“I wouldn’t say I was confident,” McCarthy said. “I just was very happy with the way the horse had trained.”

Stay Hot finished second, 1 1/4 lengths better than Atitlan.

“A salty bunch of horses like this, there’s not a whole lot separating the top three,” McCarthy said.

Gold Foot, Sketchy and Guy Named Joe were fourth, fifth and sixth in that order.

Sketchy established the early fractions of 25.01, 50.19 and 1:15.08 before Stay Hot found the lead through a mile in 1:38.69. Never more than 2 1/2 lengths behind at any call, Formidable Man took over just before the sixteenth pole.

“When it’s a small field like that, it’s always tactical,” Rispoli said. “My first intention was to go outside and lead. ... The key was to get the jump on Stay Hot, and I think it worked OK for us. I am certainly happy with that.”

Formidable Man, who won his fourth race in ninth starts, earned a first prize of $180,000 to boost his earnings total to $457,425. He also won the opening day Oceanside Stakes. All his victories have come on turf.