2020 El Camino Real Derby Draws Contenders From Both Ends Of The California Coast
A field of eleven 3-year-olds has been assembled to compete in this Saturday’s $100,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. The El Camino Real Derby, a one mile and one-furlong event on the Tapeta main track, offers 10 Kentucky Derby points to the winner and a free berth into the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 16. In order for the latter incentive to be granted to the El Camino Real Derby winner, he must be nominated to the 2020 Triple Crown series.
Last year, trainer Bob Baffert saddled Grade 3 winner Kingly to a second place finish in the El Camino Real Derby. In the 2020 edition, Baffert is represented by Azul Coast, a son of Super Saver coming off a runner up performance in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita last month. The winner of the Sham, Authentic, is considered one of the top 3-year-olds on the West Coast for Baffert. Azul Coast makes his third lifetime start in the El Camino Real Derby and will be ridden by Southern California jockey Rafael Bejarano.
Czechmight is another Southern California shipper that is likely to attract interest in the wagering. Purchased for $190,000 by his current connections after a maiden special weight win at Keeneland last October, the son of Street Sense makes his 3-year-old debut and first career start for the Richard Baltas barn. Leading up to the El Camino Real Derby, Czechmight has posted a series of sharp workouts at Santa Anita, including a bullet drill on the morning of February 8. Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. flies up to ride for Team Baltas.
In 2019, Anothertwistafate wowed racing fans with an eye-popping, eight-length runaway win in the El Camino Real Derby for trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop. This year, Wright and Redekop send out the little brother to Anothertwistafate, Ajourneytofreedom. He, like Anothertwistafate, is out of the First Defence mare Imprecation and was purchased for $180,000 as a 2-year-old in training. In his most recent afternoon appearance, Ajourneytofreedom went off favored in a January 19 allowance race and finished fourth, only beaten by about a length.
In fact, the top five finishers from the aforementioned January 19 affair enter back into the El Camino Real Derby. The Stiff, trained by Southern California conditioner Michael McCarthy, won the mile and one-sixteenth contest by a head and draws the outside post position for the El Camino Real Derby. Wine and Whisky, who put up a gallant showing when finishing a neck off The Stiff, will break from post position 4. Third place finisher Mysterious Stones is one of two El Camino Real Derby contenders campaigned by trainer Steve Sherman while the Bill McLean conditioned Final Final also takes a stab at a graded stakes placing after hitting the wire behind the top four finishers in last month’s allowance prep.
The well-bred Sacred Rider, out of stakes winning race mare and producer Lady Railrider, finished an admirable second in the California Cup Derby for California-bred 3-year-olds on dirt at Santa Anita. Last December, Sacred Rider completed the exacta in the locally-run Gold Rush Stakes, indicating he is effective and versatile on multiple surfaces. Frank Alvarado teams up with trainer Steve Specht, who tuned up Zakaroff to a 48-1 shocker in the 2017 El Camino Real Derby.
Impressive December allowance winner Indian Peak suffered a traffic-filled trip in the California Cup Derby and returns to the bayside oval in search of a graded stakes win. The highly-regarded California-bred colt has dazzled in the mornings with a pair of lightning-quick five-furlong bullet workouts and impressed racegoers two starts ago with an eye-catching victory. Leading Golden Gate jockey Juan Hernandez has the call for trainer Quinn Howey.
Recent maiden winner American Farmer is the second Steve Sherman entrant in the race, having most recently defeated a maiden special weight group on January 26. American Farmer is a full brother to Blue Diva, winner of the Miss America Stakes in December. Longshot Praise Loudly rounds out the field. The chestnut gelding was last seen hitting the board in a pair of starter allowance races and is taking a massive bump up in class.
The El Camino Real Derby goes as Race 7 on the 9-race Saturday card, with an approximate post time of 3:45 PM. Saturday’s marquee event will be shown on “America’s Day at the Races” on Fox Sports 2 and TVG network. TVG’s Joaquin Jaime has been assigned to cover the Saturday action on-sight while XBTV’s Zoe Cadman will also be on hand providing handicapping analysis over the Golden Gate Fields track feed with GGF race caller Matt Dinerman.
Trainer Quotes:
Quinn Howey (on Indian Peak): “He was super impressive over this track two races ago. Last time out (in the California Cup Derby) he never got a chance to run. He’s worked two bullet workouts since his last start and he hasn’t been fully set down on both occasions. I was surprised he went as fast as he did (both 5-furlong workouts in under a minute). He has a lot of talent, we’ve always really liked him, and we’re excited for his race on Saturday because he’s coming into his own. I think he has a good chance.”
Bill McLean (on Final Final): “It’s not an easy spot but we’re giving it a shot. We feel he will like the distance. The more ground for him…the better.”
Steve Sherman (on American Farmer): “He just broke his maiden and he’s coming into the race well. He’s a beautiful looking horse and we’re taking a chance. It seems like his niche is to sit off the pace and make one run. Hopefully, he gets a pace to run at.”
Steve Sherman (on Mysterious Stones): “He’s my knight in shining armor. He just goes out there and tries every time.”
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Race 7: $100,000 2020 El Camino Real Derby (Post time: approximately 3:45 PM PT)
#1 Indian Peak (Jockey Juan Hernandez, Quinn Howey)
#2 Praise Loudly (Silvio Amador, Daniel Franko)
#3 American Farmer (Kent Desormeaux, Steve Sherman)
#4 Wine and Whisky (Cristobal Herrera, Felix Rondan)
#5 Mysterious Stones (William Antongeorgi III, Steve Sherman)
#6 Final Final (Kevin Krigger, Bill McLean)
#7 Sacred Rider (Frank Alvarado, Steve Specht)
#8 Ajourneytofreedom (Ricky Gonzalez, Blaine Wright)
#9 Azul Coast (Rafael Bejarano, Bob Baffert)
#10 Czechmight (Jose Valdivia Jr., Richard Baltas)
#11 The Stiff (Julien Couton, Michael McCarthy)
Anneau D’Or Looks To Punch Kentucky Derby Ticket With A Victory In The Risen Star Stakes
Trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop have good reason to watch the El Camino Real Derby from a television screen thousands of miles from Golden Gate Fields on Saturday: they’ll be campaigning star 3-year-old Anneau D’Or in Louisiana.
Anneau D’Or, who broke his maiden at Golden Gate before finishing second in both the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile and Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity last year, makes his 3-year-old debut this Saturday in the $400,000 Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at The Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The Risen Star oversubscribed with 23 contenders and was subsequently split into two divisions on entry day. Anneau D’Or races in the second division, drew post position #8 and will be ridden by top North American jockey Joel Rosario for the first time. Post time for the second division of the Risen Star (Race 13) is approximately 4:12 PM Pacific Time, 6:12 PM Central Time.
Anneau D’Or arrived at the Fair Grounds on Wednesday afternoon and was resting comfortably in his stall happy and healthy, according to Wright. His last major prep work came at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday when the son of Medaglia D’Oro drilled 6 furlongs in 1:12.80 seconds.
Jauregui Happy With Camino Del Paraiso After Thunder Road Second Place Finish
Many handicappers quickly dismissed Golden Gate Fields shipper Camino Del Paraiso in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita. When the gates opened, his odds were locked at 50-1. Luckily, horses can’t read the tote board.
Under jockey Tiago Pereira, the 7-year-old gelding by Suances stalked the pace before producing a five-wide rally turning for home. He eventually out finished Grade 2 winner True Valour, Grade 3 winner Kingly and Grade 3 placed Frontier Market for the runner up spot and picked up $20,000 for his second-place finish.
“He ran well,” said trainer O.J. Jauregui. “He doesn’t win often but he certainly competes with very nice horses on his best day. We’ll run in one more race before the [Grade 3, $250,000] San Francisco Mile [on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 25 at Golden Gate].”
Claims From Last Week
Thursday:
Race 4: Gray Lives Matter (new trainer: Blaine Wright, new owner: Dan Warden)
Friday:
Race 1: For Him (trainer/owner Ari Herbertson)
Silent Movies (trainer Jonathan Wong, owner MJVET Stables)
Race 7: Brotherciccio (trainer Samuel Calvario, owner Johnny Taboada)
Smiling Bandit (trainer Jonathan Wong, owner MJVET Stables)
Stone Groove (trainer Isidro Tamayo, owners Sheila Chung and Jerry Edwards)
Saturday:
Race 3: Ardenlee Star (trainer Frank Lucarelli, owner Chad Christensen)
Race 4: Shanghai Keely (trainer Blaine Wright, owner Stable H.M.A.
Race 5: Bako Sweets (trainer Andy Mathis, owners Bruno, Jones & Mathis)
Race 9: Awesome Silver (trainer Bob Hess Sr., owners Eaton, Finch & Hess)
Sigur Ros (trainer Frank Lucarelli, owner Chad Christensen)
Race 10: Studly Perfection (trainer Frank Lucarelli, owner Chad Christensen)
Sunday:
Race 2: Falcone (trainer Jack Steiner, owner Randy Marriott)
Race 6: Cedars of Lebanon (trainer Leobardo Rivera, owner Nelson Martinez)
Race 8: River of Champagne (trainer Ari Herbertson, owner Scott Herbertson)
FINISH LINES: Juan Hernandez and Jonathan Wong continue to hold a large-sized lead in the jockey/trainer standings. Catalino Martinez lays second in the jockey standings while Bill Delia and Isidro Tamayo are tied for second in the trainer standings heading into Thursday’s card…Leg C of the Stronach 5 wager runs as the third race at Golden Gate on Friday…Heading into Thursday’s card, we have a Golden Pick Six jackpot carryover of $59, 641 and a Super High Five carryover of $3,556…Happy birthday to trainers Isidro Tamayo and Tirso Rivera, both of who celebrate birthdays later this week.