ROAD TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS BEGINS FOR ROMBAUER IN SATURDAY’S EL CAMINO REAL DERBY
Grade I placed Rombauer begins his 3-year-old season in this Saturday’s feature race, the 2021 El Camino Real Derby at one mile and an eighth. Rombauer, to be ridden for the first time by local jockey Kyle Frey, was last seen finishing fifth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and has been working at Santa Anita Park under the watchful eye of Southern California trainer Michael McCarthy.
“Rombauer is doing really well,” said McCarthy. “He’s been working like he’s ready to race. We’ve got him fit and ready to roll. I’m hoping he gets some pace to run at on Saturday. He’s a horse that puts himself in a good spot, gets in a nice steady rhythm, and finishes strong in the end.”
Rombauer, who ran second last year in the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, seeks 10 Kentucky Derby points and an all-expenses-paid, free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, with an El Camino Real Derby victory. In order for the winner to earn the latter incentive, he or she must be Triple Crown nominated.
“The incentives create appeal to run in the El Camino Real Derby,” said McCarthy. “[Owners] John and Diane [Fradkin] are excited to see their horse in the race and I’m looking forward to seeing him run too.”
McCarthy, before starting his own stable in 2014, worked as a longtime assistant for one of the sport’s world-renowned horsemen, Todd Pletcher.
“I’ve been around a lot of really nice horses over the years,” said McCarthy. “I think this horse fits the bill. There are some other nice horses in the race, but I’m hopeful that if Rombauer gets a good trip then he’ll have the class to get the job done. He’s a nice horse.”
“BIRTHDAY BOY” THOMAS WINS A PAIR OF RACES WITH IMPRESSIVE FIRSTERS
Birthday presents came in the form of first place finishes last Sunday for trainer Jamey Thomas. For any thoroughbred racehorse trainer, wins are always a welcoming gift.
Thomas, who indeed celebrated his birthday on Sunday, won the sixth race with 3-year-old colt Seattle Bold and the nightcap, Race 9, with 4-year-old filly My Legal Bet. Both were entered in maiden special weight races-the former for California breds and the latter against open company-and were making their career debuts.
Seattle Bold, owned by breeder Myles McMahon, is a California-bred son of Bold Chieftain who was entering his first career race with a number of sharp workouts on the tab. Before the race, Thomas was optimistic he would run well.
“You never really know how they’re going to run in the afternoon until they go out there and perform,” said Thomas. “But in a lot cases, the horses will give you an indication that they have some ability. [Seattle Bold] was working like a nice horse and I figured if he got out of the gate in good shape, he would run well.”
Seattle Bold, sent off by the betting public as the even money favorite, went to the lead and set moderate fractions before finishing full of run in the final furlong, hitting the wire a length and three-quarters ahead of runner up finisher Gallant Guy.
“I knew [Seattle Bold] could run well sprinting, but I’ve always told the owner that I thought this horse would like running long,” said Thomas. “He wasn’t blowing [after the race] at all. He wasn’t tired. I think I’ll stretch him out [in distance]. Physically, he looks just like his dad.”
Four races later, Thomas debuted My Legal Bet, a 4-year-old California-bred filly by Coach Bob. She was a well-kept secret; sent off at 15-1 while breaking from the inside post position, My Legal Bet stalked the pace before splitting leaders in midstretch and outfinishing race favorite This is the One. According to Thomas, My Legal Bet was another who strung together a series of eye-catching drills leading up to her first career start for owner Timothy Francis O’Leary.
“[My Legal Bet] showed in the mornings that she had talent,” said Thomas. “I was a little concerned about drawing the rail. She was on the inside with a large field [11 entrants], so she needed to work out a good trip and [jockey] Kyle [Frey] did a good job on her. I couldn’t have been happier with how she ran. We’ll see what comes up next in the condition book and go from there.”
Heading into this week, Thomas confirmed that recent maiden winner It’s My House will race in Saturday’s El Camino Real Derby. William Antongerorgi III is set to hop aboard for the first time.
“We’re going to the ‘Derby,” said Thomas. “He’s been bucking and squealing and playing around back at the barn. He has a good energy level and came out of his maiden win two weeks ago a happy horse. You can’t win it if you’re not in it, right? This is a big race in Northern California and you only get one crack at it. We’re asking a lot of him but we’re going to take a shot and see what happens.”
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INVADERS BRING TALENT & CLASS TO THE 2021 El CAMINO REAL DERBY
Berkeley, Calif. (February 10, 2021)- A field of nine is entered to take flight in the feature race at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday afternoon, the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby for 3-year-olds. The El Camino Real Derby, run at the distance of one mile and an eighth on the “all-weather” Tapeta main track, offers ten Kentucky Derby points to the winner and an all-expenses paid, free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. In order for the winner to earn the latter incentive, he or she must be Triple Crown nominated.
This year’s El Camino Real Derby field is packed with Southern California shippers. The likely favorite, Rombauer, draws the outside post in the field of nine and is one of six entrants who make the trip north from their home base at Santa Anita Park. Rombauer makes his 3-year-old debut in the El Camino Real Derby, having most recently placed fifth in the Grade I Breeders Cup Juvenile in November. Earlier in the fall, Rombauer finished as the runner up in the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. The current leading rider at the Golden Gate Winter/Spring meet, Kyle Frey, picks up the mount for trainer Michael McCarthy. Frey won the 2017 El Camino Real Derby aboard longshot Zakaroff while McCarthy scored a victory one year later with the filly Paved.
Javanica seeks to become the second filly in the El Camino Real Derby’s 39-year history to take home the gold medal. Javanica, a royally bred gal by Medaglia D’Oro out of Grade 2 winning mare Shuruq, has finished second in her last three starts, all against stakes competition. Eoin Harty trains for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin LLC, with veteran rider Frank Alvarado slated to navigate. Javanica will be breaking from post position 7.
Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella saddles a 2021 El Camino Real Derby contender in Petruchio, by white-hot stallion Into Mischief. After breaking his maiden on turf two starts ago, Petruchio tried winners for the first time in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity and completed the trifecta. Local jockey Irving Orozco rides for the first time.
Trainer John Shirreffs sends Waspirant to the Bay Area for another shot against stakes company. Most recently, Waspirant ran fourth in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes behind two of the top 3-year-olds in California, the Bob Baffert trained pair of Life Is Good and Medina Spirit. The son of Union Rags is out of the Storm Cat mare Life Is Sweet, who won the 2009 Grade I Breeders Cup Ladies Classic (now named the Breeders Cup Distaff). Jockey Assael Espinoza has the call for owners Pam and Marty Wygod.
Owner Reddam Racing LLC and trainer Doug O’Neill won the 2016 El Camino Real Derby with Frank Conversation and, five years later, campaign the California-bred Play Chicken. Winner of the King Glorious Stakes for state-breds at Los Alamitos last December, Play Chicken looks to rebound after an off-the-board finish in the California Derby on January 16 at Santa Anita. Evin Roman is named to ride; Roman guided Kingly to a second-place effort in the 2019 El Camino Real Derby.
Positivity rounds out the list of Southern California contenders. His best run to date came in the summertime as a 2-year-old, winning the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar while sprinting on dirt. He also ran second in his next start, the Golden State Juvenile. Both aforementioned races came against California-breds. Trainer Paddy Gallagher employs his go-to Northern California rider, Julien Couton, to ride.
Three local contenders look to play spoiler for the heavy hitters from Southern California. It’s My House, trained by Jamey Thomas, broke his maiden sprinting two weeks ago and stretches out in distance. Tesoro, who unofficially hit the wire first in his career debut, was disqualified for interference with another rival and enters the El Camino Real Derby still a maiden. Recent starter allowance winner Govenor’s Party completes the trio of local talent and is expected to go off at a big price for trainer Dan Franko. William Antongeorgi III rides It’s My House, Catalino Martinez hops aboard Tesoro and Cristobal Herrera retains the mount on Govenor’s Party.
The El Camino Real Derby goes as Race 8 on a 9-race program at Golden Gate Fields. First post on Saturday is 12:45 PM PT, with scheduled post time for the El Camino Real Derby stamped at 4:15 PM PT.
The $100,000 El Camino Real Derby (3-year-olds at one mile and an eighth)
- Positivity(trainer Paddy Gallagher, jockey Julien Couton)
- Waspirant (John Shirreffs, Assael Espinoza)
- Tesoro (O.J. Jauregui, Catalino Martinez)
- It’s My House (Jamey Thomas, William Antongeorgi III)
- Petruchio (Richard Mandella, Irving Orozco)
- Play Chicken (Doug O’Neill, Evin Roman)
- Javanica (Eoin Harty, Frank Alvarado)
- Govenor’s Party (Dan Franko, Cristobal Herrera)
- Rombauer (Michael McCarthy, Kyle Frey)
CLAIMS REPORT
Below are a list of claims from last week:
Thursday
Race 7: Harvest a Storm (New trainer Sammy Calvario…new owner Mary Tucker)
Friday
Race 6: Okoye (Isidro Tamayo…Jerry Edwards)
Saturday
Race 1: Galloping Uno (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 6: Push Through (Aggie Ordonez…McLean Racing Stables)
Sunday
Race 1: Family Trips (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 2: Leme At Em (Owner/Trainer Isidro Tamayo)
FINISH LINES: Please note that first post on Friday is later than usual: 1:20 PM. Golden Gate Fields also offers a special Presidents Day live racing card on Monday…Jamey Thomas was not the only trainer who won a race on his birthday last weekend. On Saturday, Southern California trainer Edward Freeman shipped 3-year-old filly Righteously north for a hard-earned victory in Race 7. On Saturday, Freeman was celebrating his 61st birthday…Trainer Andy Mathis won Races 3 and 4 last Friday, with the $2 “Mathis Double” paying $121.20. Here’s the interesting tidbit, though: in each race, Mathis saddled two entrants, and both races were won by the longer shot of the two…Happy birthday to trainers Jacqui Navarre and Isidro Tamayo, both who celebrate their birthday’s this week…$3,071 is carried over into the Rolling Super High Five wager for Race 2 on Thursday…Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 2 at Golden Gate this Friday.