BAFFERT TRAINED KINGLY, LOCAL ANOTHERTWISTAFATE HIGHLIGHT LARGE FIELD FOR 2019 EL CAMINO REAL DERBY
A solid-sized field of 13 has signed up to compete in the 38th running of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields this Saturday. The race, for 3-year-olds going one-mile and an eighth on Tapeta with a $100,000 guaranteed purse, provides the winner with a free berth to the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, and 10 points to America’s most prestigious race, the Kentucky Derby.
Leading the cast of characters is Kingly, a royally bred son of Tapit and sibling to 2013 Breeders Cup Juvenile winner New Years Day and 4-time Grade 2 winner Mohaymen. Conditioned by Triple Crown winning trainer Bob Baffert, Kingly broke his maiden impressively at Del Mar in December before finishing second in an allowance race last month. Southern California jockey Evin Roman rides for the first time.
The most noteworthy local contender is Anothertwistafate, a son of Scat Daddy trained by Blaine Wright and ridden by top Northern California jockey Juan Hernandez. Anothertwistafate has rattled off two decisive, fast-timed route wins against easier company and makes his stakes debut in this spot. Other local contenders include stakes placed Mayor Cobb, supplemental entry Data Hawk, multiple Northern California winner Angelo’s Pride, and Rey Coliman, who finished second behind Anothertwistafate in a January 4 allowance.
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has won the El Camino Real Derby a record 6 times and campaigns chestnut colt More Ice in this year’s edition. The son of More Than Ready comes off a third place finish in the December 28 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita and makes his 3-year-old debut this Saturday.
2-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Doug O’Neill saddles a pair of El Camino Real contenders in The Creep and Weekly Call, both whom were stakes placed as 2-year-olds. O’Neill won the 2016 El Camino Real Derby with Frank Conversation. Other out-of-town shippers include stakes winner King of Speed, the Keith Desormeaux trained Knight’s Cross, European bred Eagle Song and maiden Royal Insider.
The El Camino Real Derby goes as Race 7 on a 9-race card at Golden Gate Fields this Saturday. Post time for the El Camino Real Derby is 12:45 PM
2019 El Camino Real Derby
Race 7 (Saturday, February 17, 2019: 3:45 p.m./PT approximate post time)
#1 Angelo’s Pride (Jockey Silvio Amador, Trainer Bill Delia)
#2 King of Speed (Heriberto Figueroa, Jeff Bonde)
#3 Data Hawk (Ricky Gonzalez, Tim McCanna)
#4 Anothertwistafate (Juan Hernandez, Blaine Wright)
#5 The Creep (Brice Blanc, Doug O’Neill)
#6 Weekly Call (Alonso Quinonez, Doug O’Neill)
#7 Eagle Song (Julien Couton, Mark Glatt)
#8 Rey Coliman (Catalino Martinez, Felix Rondan)
#9 Kingly (Evin Roman, Bob Baffert)
#10 Knight’s Cross (Diego Sanchez, Keith Desormeaux)
#11 Royal Insider (Frank Alvarado, Eoin Harty)
#12 More Ice (Abel Cedillo, Jerry Hollendorfer)
#13 Mayor Cobb (William Antongeorgi III, Jonathan Wong)
WONG WINS EIGHT RACES IN TWO DAYS
Trainer Jonathan Wong had an extremely productive 2018, winning the training title at all 3 race meets last year. Wong, however, has never had a streak of luck quite like what race fans witnessed this past weekend.
Saturday afternoon, Wong won 4 races a great feat in itself to win that many races in one day. The next afternoon, though, Wong repeated, with four more victories. In total, the 2-day span resulted in Wong making eight trips to the winner’s circle.
“There are a lot of people who get credit for the success we had this past weekend,” Wong said. “My help, my owners…they are fantastic. They deserve all of the credit. I just manage things and try to find the right spots for our horses. And I am obviously super proud of my horses and how they ran. They give it their all out there.”
Heading into El Camino Real Derby week, Wong has a commanding lead in the trainer standings. From 109 starters (the most out of any trainer at the current meet), Wong has won 34 races, 22 more than second place trainer Blaine Wright.
FINISH LINES: Jockey Abel Cedillo has the most wins out of any rider at the meet with 45 wins, 9 more than second place journeyman Juan Hernandez…Happy birthday to trainers Isidro Tamayo and Sammy Calvario, both whom celebrate birthdays in the next 7 days…Race 5 on Friday is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager this week….Below you can find workouts produced by XBTV for El Camino Real Derby contenders:
KINGLY: https://www.xbtv.com/video/kingly-(outside)-and-green-fleet-worked-5-furlongs-in-1/kingly-outside-and-green-fleet-worked-5-furlongs-in-101-20-at-santa-anita-park-on-february-10th-2019/
KNIGHT’S CROSS: https://www.xbtv.com/video/workout/sonneteer-outside-and-knights-cross-worked-5-furlongs-at-santa-anita-park-on-february-9th-2019/
ROYAL INSIDER: https://www.xbtv.com/video/workout/royal-insider-outsideand-union-station-worked-5-furlongs-at-santa-anita-park-on-february-10th-2019/