Stablemate to join King Guillermo on Arkansas Derby trip

Less than two years since saddling his first winning horse in the United States, trainer Juan Carlos Avila broke through in graded stakes company last month at Tampa Bay Downs.

Trophy Chaser prevailed in the Challenger Stakes (G3) for older horses. Hours later, King Guillermo upset the Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

Avila, a former leading trainer in Venezuela, prefers Spanish to English and, thus, hasn’t received the same type of attention this spring as other barns. He’ll let the horses continue to do the talking on a big day at Oaklawn Park.

Trophy Chaser put in his penultimate work for the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on Wednesday, breezing six furlongs in 1:14.26 at Gulfstream Park. That was a tick slower than stablemate King Guillermo, who covered the distance in 1:13.71 preparing for the Arkansas Derby (G1).

“They both went really well,” said Avila, who will have jockey Samy Camacho aboard both colts for their next start, via text message. “Both horses worked by themselves this morning and came back fresh from their workouts.”

The Avila runners will go a half mile locally next week under exercise riders before shipping to Oaklawn.

Trophy Chaser, who’s also owned by Avila, already has tested Grade 1 company once. Having broken his maiden Aug. 25, 2018, while registering a 96 Beyer Speed Figure — at that point, the best of the crop early in the season — he went on to run fifth in the Champagne Stakes (G1).

That’s the worst career finish for the son of Twirling Candy, who is a consistent type with a 4-3-1 record in 11 starts. He has won both his 2020 outings, progressing from an allowance optional claiming score to upset the well-regarded King for a Day by a neck in the Challenger on March 7.

Avila’s barn delivered a bigger surprise when King Guillermo stunned at 49-1 in the Tampa Bay Derby. The son of Uncle Mo, campaigned by former MLB All-Star Victor Martinez’s Victoria’s Ranch, was making his first start since a third — on turf — in the Nov. 30 Pulpit Stakes.

Martinez fetched King Guillermo at auction for $150,000 as a 2-year-old and saw him put forth a massive effort off the bench. Connections were planning to train up to the first Saturday in May all along, only the target changed to the Arkansas Derby after Churchill Downs postponed its Kentucky Derby until Sept. 5.