Royal Act may be American Pharoah's first Derby-bound son
Royal Act can make
history Saturday as the first offspring of American Pharoah to clinch a
2020 Kentucky Derby berth.
The 3-year-old son of
the 2015 Triple Crown winner is entered in the Grade 2, $1 million
Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. The 1 3/16-mile event drew a field of 14
runners and offers — along with its healthy purse — Kentucky Derby
qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale.
California-based
trainer Peter Eurton is shipping Royal Act to New Orleans off a second-place finish
Feb. 1 in Santa Anita Park’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3). That race marked the
colt’s first try on dirt in three career outings.
“We couldn’t have been
happier with the way that he ran (in the Lewis),” Eurton told Fair Grounds’
publicity team. “He definitely has trained better on dirt prior to that race, and he’s trained well after that race too.
“We’re very excited
about the (Louisiana Derby) as long as we can get there and everything
continues to go the way it is.”
Royal Act drew post
No. 8 for the Louisiana Derby and sits at 10-1 on the morning line.
Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner Enforceable was installed as the 7-2 favorite, with Risen
Star (G2) hero Modernist and Silver State the 6-1 co-second choices.
Mayberry Farm
purchased the Kentucky-bred Royal Act for $500,000 in 2018 as a yearling. C R K
Stable LLC campaigns the colt, who kicked off his racing career last November
with a debut win on the turf at Del Mar.
Eurton then saddled
Royal Act for another turf race, the listed Eddie Logan Stakes, in December at
Santa Anita Park. He finished a pedestrian fifth of nine, four lengths off
winner Encoder.
Royal Act trained
throughout his 2-year-old year on both dirt and turf, and Eurton decided to
steer him to the main track to start his sophomore campaign.
“He couldn’t be
training much better on the dirt, so we said we have to give this horse a try
to have any chance at making a Derby run,” Eurton said. “He had trained so well
on dirt going into that race, so we thought we had nothing to lose. He
definitely didn’t let us down.”
Royal Act went off at
19-1 in the Robert B. Lewis and broke slowly to start last of six runners. The
colt found his footing under jockey Abel Cedillo and rallied to press Thousand
Words before falling by ¾ of a length.
Since that race, Royal
Act has posted four timed workouts at Santa Anita. He most recently moved six
furlongs handily in 1:13.60 on March 7 but wasn’t able to work last weekend because of rainy conditions at the Southern California track.
“We didn’t run on
Friday and the main track (at Santa Anita) has been open for joggers and
gallopers only,” Eurton said. “But he had a really good work last week and the
week before, so fitness is not even a question at all for him.
“It will come down to
getting the trip and being able to beat these talented 3-year-olds.”
Should Royal Act get the job done Saturday at
Fair Grounds, he’d be in line to give Eurton his first Kentucky Derby starter
since Dance With Fate in 2014. He’d also continue the Kentucky Derby legacy of
his champion sire.