Sham 2022: O'Neill's turf star Mackinnon will test the Derby trail

Trainer Doug O’Neill, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, has five juveniles listed in Nevada’s two winter books (Circa, Caesars William Hill) for the 2022 Kentucky Derby led by Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Slow Down Andy (50-1).

On Saturday, O’Neill will look to accrue Derby qualifying points for a second colt when turf stakes-winner Mackinnon, currently 140-1 at Circa, tries the dirt again in the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) going a flat mile at Santa Anita. Regular rider Juan Hernandez has the call, O’Neill told Horse Racing Nation Tuesday. Entries for the Sham will be taken on Wednesday.

“Mackinnon is doing well. With JJ Hernandez, we’re heading to the Sham,” O’Neill relayed via text message.

Co-owned by Erik Johnson of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, Mackinnon most recently was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 5. Prior to that, the son of American Pharoah reeled off three straight wins on grass, including the Del Mar Juvenile Turf in early September and the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita a month later.

The Sham will be Mackinnon’s first start on dirt since his debut in May at Santa Anita when he was a no-threat fourth. O’Neill had been targeting the Sham with debut winner Kid Corleone, who this week was 150-1 for the Kentucky Derby at Caesars William Hill, but the son of Shackleford has a sore hind ankle and is “heading to the farm for 60 days,” O’Neill said.

Mackinnon joined O’Neill with heightened expectations after being a $285,000 auction purchase by Johnson’s ERJ Racing at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-olds in training sale. His debut on dirt was a disappointment, O'Neill previously noted, as “he had been training so well on dirt."

“He definitely came with some high expectations,” O’Neill told HRN. “I was actually surprised he didn’t run better on the dirt.”

Mackinnon is now campaigned by ERJ Racing in partnership with Madaket Stables and Dave Kenney.

Mackinnon will enter the Sham off a series of strong works on the dirt at Santa Anita that includes a pair of bullets (59.8 seconds on Dec. 6, 1:00.0 on Dec. 12). Most recently he drilled five furlongs in a quick 59.6 seconds on Sunday, which was the fourth fastest of 61 moves at the distance.

The rest of the field for the Sham, which awards Derby points on a scale of 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers, is expected to include at least two colts for Bob Baffert and possibly Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner Oviatt Class for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

The Santa Anita racing office told Horse Racing Nation over the weekend Baffert was expected to enter at least Doppelganger, who crashed the Derby futures (60-1 Circa, 35-1 Caesars William Hilll) after an impressive debut win at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11; and Newgrange (60-1 Circa, 35-1 Caesars William Hilll), who won his debut Nov. 28 at Del Mar.

Each of the last two Kentucky Derby winners ran in the Sham. Authentic won both races in 2019 while Medina Spirit ran second to Life is Good in the Sham and went on to win the Kentucky Derby.