Twilight Derby 2022: Odds, preview, stakes schedule, more

Racing’s final Saturday leading up to the 2022 Breeders’ Cup features seven graded stakes across California, Kentucky, and New York. Among them is a nine-furlong test for runners aiming to gain traction in the 3-year-old turf male division.

War At Sea is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby. Post time at Santa Anita is 7:06 p.m., with FanDuel TV showing that race and the rest of the day’s card from Arcadia, Calif.

The Twilight Derby serves as a prep for the $400,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) also going 1 1/8 miles over the lawn Dec. 3 at Del Mar. Mo Forza pulled off the Twilight Derby-Hollywood Derby in 2019 for trainer Peter Miller, following Ultimate Eagle (2011), The Usual Q.T. (2009), Daytona (2007) and Johar (2002) as runners to do so in the 21st century.

War At Sea already has a nine-furlong, Santa Anita turf stakes win under his belt after taking the Cinema Stakes in June. He followed the leader from second in that race before taking command and holding off Twilight Derby rival Cabo Spirit (4-1) by 3/4 of a length.

In War At Sea’s only race since the Cinema, he crossed third Sept. 3 in the Del Mar Derby (G2), just one length back of winner Slow Down Andy. The War Front colt will try to make the grade Saturday under jockey Mike Smith for trainer Ron Ellis.

Speaking Scout (3-1) ships west for trainer Graham Motion in pursuit of a graded-stakes breakthrough. He aired out in the Hawthorne Derby by five lengths Oct. 1 but has fared no better than fourth in any of his three tries in graded flight.

Cabo Spirit took on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail last winter and spring but has found a home on turf. He won Del Mar’s La Jolla Handicap (G3) on Aug. 7 for trainer George Papaprodromou before finishing fifth in the Del Mar Derby.

Miller has two Twilight Derby entries in Perfect Flight (6-1) and Handy Dandy (6-1). The former won a Santa Anita allowance race Oct. 9 two starts after running second in the La Jolla, while the latter starts for the first time since winning at the allowance level Sept. 5 at Del Mar.

Here is the field for the 2022 Twilight Derby (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Seven Wonders (Peter Eurton, Hector Berrios), 15-1

2. Go Joe Won (Paula Capestro, Jose Valdivia Jr.), 12-1

3. Perfect Flight (Peter Miller, Ramon Vazquez), 6-1

4. Handy Dandy (Peter Miller, Umberto Rispoli), 6-1

5. Cabo Spirit (George Papaprodromou, Joe Bravo), 4-1

6. Stayincotai (Peter Eurton, Victor Espinoza), 12-1

7. Degree of Risk (Eoin Harty, Drayden Van Dyke), 12-1

8. Speaking Scout (Graham Motion, Juan Hernandez), 3-1

9. War At Sea (Ron Ellis, Mike Smith), 5-2

TimeformUS’ pace projections show Go Joe Won going out to the early lead under jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., with favorite War At Sea running mid-pack.

Other Saturday stakes

Here is a look at other graded stakes taking place Saturday across the U.S. All post times are EDT.

2:44 p.m. – $300,000 Kelso Handicap (G2), 3-and-up, one mile, Aqueduct, FS2

Baby Yoda (6-5) has started four times in graded stakes, with his best finish a runner-up effort last December in Santa Anita’s Malibu Stakes (G1) behind undefeated Flightline. Bill Mott trains and jockey Javier Castellano rides the 4-year-old Prospective gelding, a local allowance winner Oct. 7. Robert Falcone Jr. trains Empty Tomb (3-1), who returned from a layoff of more than eight months to win an Oct. 7 allowance race at Delaware Park. Morello (4-1) scored in an Oct. 8 allowance event at Laurel Park for trainer Steve Asmussen and owns a Gotham Stakes (G3) win from March over this track.

4:44 p.m. – $300,000 Bryan Station Stakes (G3), 3-year-olds, one mile (turf), Keeneland, FanDuel TV

Wit (3-1) aims for a third career win at the Grade 3 level in his first start since taking the Better Talk Now Stakes on Aug. 28 at Saratoga. Jockey Jose Ortiz gets the call on the 3-year-old Practical Joke colt, who makes his Keeneland debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. Kenny McPeek trains Classic Causeway (4-1), a Grade 1 victor who returns to sophomore company after finishing seventh when battling older runners Oct. 8 in the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1). Ready to Purrform (5-1), a Grade 2 winner two starts back for trainer Brad Cox, looks to bounce back from a sixth-place effort Sept. 5 at Kentucky Downs in the Dueling Grounds Derby (G3).

4:54 p.m. – $200,000 Bold Ruler Stakes (G3), 3-and-up, six furlongs, Aqueduct, FS2

Jaxon Traveler (7-2) made the grade three starts back for Asmussen in the Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) in May at Pimlico. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will be up on the 4-year-old Munnings colt, who was second Sept. 10 back at Pimlico in the Lite the Fuse Stakes. Norman Cash trains Eastern Bay (4-1), who will attempt a graded breakthrough in career start No. 52 off a runner-up effort Oct. 8 in the local Vosburgh Stakes (G2). Runninsonofagun (9-2) finished third in the Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) on Sept. 24 at Parx for trainer John Toscano Jr.

5:04 p.m. – $200,000 Goldikova Stakes (G2), 3-and-up fillies and mares, Santa Anita, FanDuel TV

Going Global (4-5) will be sold Nov. 6, but before going to auction, she will try to take this race for the second straight year and earn the eighth graded-stakes win of her career. Jockey Umberto Rispoli has the mount for trainer Phil D’Amato on the 4-year-old Mehmas filly, a Grade 1 heroine who was runner-up Sept. 10 at Del Mar in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2). Leonard Powell trains Avenue de France (5-2), who made the grade when besting Going Global in the John C. Mabee. A second D’Amato entry, Burgoo Alley (4-1), is a Grade 3 winner who settled for fifth in the John C. Mabee.

5:16 p.m. – $350,000 Fayette Stakes (G2), 3-and-up, 1 1/8 miles, Keeneland, FanDuel TV

First Captain (6-5), twice a Grade 3 winner for trainer Shug McGaughey, returns after a third-place finish Sept. 3 at Saratoga in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1). Jockey Luis Saez has been tabbed to ride the 4-year-old Curlin colt. Cox trains Fulsome (3-1), a four-time Grade 3 hero who crossed fifth in Churchill Downs’ Ack Ack Stakes (G3) on Oct. 1. A second Cox entry, West Will Power (4-1), steps up in class off a Sept. 28 allowance victory at Churchill.

8:36 p.m. – $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (G3), 3-year-old fillies, one mile (turf), Santa Anita, FanDuel TV

Cairo Memories (8-5) owns three local stakes wins, a pair of which came at the Grade 3 level for trainer Robert Hess Jr. Jockey Mike Smith has the assignment on the Cairo Prince filly, third-place finisher Aug. 20 in the Del Mar Oaks (G1). Peter Miller trans Pammy’s Ready (5-1), a Del Mar allowance winner who was runner-up Oct. 1 in the local Unzip Me Stakes. Nadette (6-1) makes her U.S. debut for trainer Neil Drysdale after crossing fourth in the Prix Bertrand de Tarragon (G3) on Sept. 17 at Chantilly.