A Day in the Life of a Kentucky Derby Horse
Heading into the homestretch at Golden Gate Fields. (Vassar Photography)
Northern California racing steps into the national spotlight Saturday on the Triple Crown trail as Golden Gate Fields hosts the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby.
The winner of the El Camino Real Derby will receive an automatic berth to the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 18, and the free slot turned out to be beneficial three years ago to Rombauer as that colt parlayed an El Camino Real Derby victory into a Preakness score for owners-breeders John and Diane Fradkin.
This race, which is held at 1 1/8 miles on Golden Gate’s all-weather Tapeta Footings track, was first held in 1982 and has been run at Golden Gate since 2009. Notable winners from years past include Tank’s Prospect (1985), Snow Chief (1986), Sea Cadet (1991), Tabasco Cat (1994), Cavonnier (1996), and the aforementioned Rombauer in 2021.
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This year’s renewal will be televised live by FanDuel TV with a scheduled post time of 7:45 p.m. ET.
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Read on for information about all of the El Camino Real Derby contenders.
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1. Come Out Fighting (8-1 morning-line odds)
Jockey: Luis Manuel Jimenez Aburto
Trainer: Bill McLean
Owners: Chris Carpenter and Bill McLean
Career record: 6 starts – 1 win – 4 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $30,900
Earnings per start: $5,150
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 84
Pedigree: Cat Burglar – Fight Again, by Awesome Again
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Locally-based Come Out Fighting made his first four starts in maiden claiming races with three seconds and actually improved when moved up in class, winning a one-mile maiden special weight race at Golden Gate on Dec. 31. He came back in his 3-year-old debut and again ran well, finishing second by a nose to Old Triangle in a one-mile starter allowance race (an allowance race for horses that had previously run at the claiming level). Jockey Luis M. Jimenez Aburto and co-owner/trainer Bill McLean have teamed up well at Golden Gate during 2023 and early 2024, winning at a 30% clip. Along with Wild Jewels, this California-bred gelding arguably has the best chance of hitting the board Saturday among the five local contenders, conceding that the three runners shipping north from Santa Anita Park will be very tough to beat.
Bet on Come Out Fighting in the El Camino Real Derby
2. Grogu (20-1)
Jockey: Irving Orozco
Trainer: Matthew Troy
Owner: Domenic Savides
Career record: 5 starts – 0 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $11,800
Earnings per start: $2,360
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 79
Pedigree: Get Stormy – How Unusual, by Unusual Heat
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding faces a very tough assignment in the El Camino Real Derby coming in winless through five starts. Grogu has improved over time, finishing second in a pair of maiden special weight races held at one mile in December and January. He earned a 79 Equibase Speed Figure in both of those starts, which is probably about 15 points below what will be needed to win on Saturday. Grogu has a decent pedigree for the all-weather track as a son of turf millionaire Get Stormy and out of a dam who won a Grade 3 on turf at Del Mar. Based on his form, a best-case scenario could see him pick off a few tired horses in the stretch and round out the trifecta at a price. That’s a remote scenario, however.
Bet on Grogu in the El Camino Real Derby
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3. Wild Jewels (5-1)
Jockey: Frank Alvarado
Trainer: Steve Specht
Owners: Larry Williams and Marianne Williams
Career record: 7 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $154,810
Earnings per start: $22,116
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 83
Pedigree: Tamarando – Ribbon of Jewels, by Distorted Humor
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Cal-bred gelding easily has the most stakes experience among the quintet of locally-based El Camino Real Derby contenders. He’s a solid 4-for-7 so far in his career and has competed in five stakes races already, winning back-to-back listed events at Golden Gate last fall. Those victories came in the Nov. 11 Golden Nugget Stakes held at six furlongs, which Wild Jewels won by three-quarters of a length, and then the Dec. 2 Gold Rush Stakes held at one mile, which he won by a half-length. In his first start as a 3-year-old, he shipped to Santa Anita Park and ran a disappointing last of five in the California Chrome Cal Cup Derby for state-breds. He was the 2.30-1 second betting choice in the Cal Cup Derby and never threatened after getting off to a slow start. If he can rebound back on his home track, Wild Jewels should sit just off of the early leaders in the El Camino Real Derby and be in contention late. Even with his strong form, his Equibase Speed Figures have topped out in the low 80s, which is well below the best figures of SoCal shippers Endlessly, Tapalo, and Guy Named Joe. Trainer Steve Specht won the 2017 El Camino Real Derby with Zakaroff. Larry and Marianne Williams owned 2014 winner Tamarando, the sire of Wild Jewels.
Bet on Wild Jewels in the El Camino Real Derby
4. Arctic Breeze (8-1)
Jockey: William Antongeorgi III
Trainer: Blaine Wright
Owner: Peter Redekop B. C.
Career record: 6 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $31,160
Earnings per start: $5,193
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 82
Pedigree: Arrogate – Sweater Weather, by Milwaukee Brew
Color: Bay
Running style: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Arrogate filly faces off against males in Saturday’s El Camino Real Derby, and does so without any stakes experience or even any starts at the allowance level. One look at her past performances, though, and it’s clear why her connections (who have won this race before) are taking the class leap. Arctic Breeze enters off of a gate-to-wire breakthrough win in a one-mile maiden race at Golden Gate on Jan. 20, where she jumped out to a quick lead and dominated by 9 ¼ lengths. That followed two prior appearances at Golden Gate where she finished second and third and before that, three unproductive starts in Southern California for different trainers. Notably, jockey Evin Roman, who was aboard Arctic Breeze’s breakout win, takes the mount on SoCal shipper Tapalo in the El Camino Real Derby. This filly should show speed once again Saturday, joining Tapalo, Come Out Fighting, and possibly Wild Jewels in setting what could end up being a hot pace. It’s highly unlikely that Arctic Breeze will repeat her last-out performance against this field. Peter Redekop co-owned 2006 El Camino Real Derby winner Cause to Believe and was sole owner of 2019 champ Anothertwistafate, who was trained by Blaine Wright.
Bet on Arctic Breeze in the El Camino Real Derby
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5. Old Triangle (10-1)
Jockey: Hugo Herrera
Trainer: Tim Bellasis
Owner: Timothy O’Leary
Career record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $39,390
Earnings per start: $6,565
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 81
Pedigree: Gig Harbor – She’s Cookin, by Shackleford
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Another Cal-bred gelding in the El Camino Real Derby field, Old Triangle brings a solid 3-for-6 record into the race, all of his starts coming on Golden Gate’s Tapeta Footings surface and at the claiming or starter allowance level. He’s won three out of his last four starts, including a last-out nose win over El Camino Real Derby foe Come Out Fighting in a one-mile starter allowance on Jan. 27. Old Triangle rallied gamely in the stretch from fourth of six starters to edge Come Out Fighting, who had contested the pace throughout. With several forwardly-placed runners entered in Saturday’s tilt, Old Triangle should get a solid pace to close into again. This field is far tougher than any he’s faced so far, however, and reaching the lowest rung of the trifecta or superfecta appears to be his ceiling.
Bet on Old Triangle in the El Camino Real Derby
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6. Endlessly (2-1)
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Owner: Amerman Racing
Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $239,200
Earnings per start: $59,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 103
Pedigree: Oscar Performance – Dream Fuhrever, by Langfuhr
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Endlessly is a clear standout in the El Camino Real Derby field based on class and speed figures and will probably be an odds-on post-time betting favorite. The Oscar Performance colt has won three of four career starts, all on turf in the Southern California circuit that is leagues tougher than Golden Gate competition. He won first out last summer at Del Mar by 2 ½ lengths and then moved up to graded stakes company and took back-to-back Grade 3 turf stakes, the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes in September and then the Oct. 8 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita Park. That set Endlessly up for a start against some of the best 2-year-old turf runners in the world, and he ran a respectable eighth of 11 in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 3 at Santa Anita, defeated by only 3 ½ lengths. Making his 3-year-old debut in this race therefore represents a significant class drop for Endlessly, and it will be interesting to see if his connections pursue Triple Crown dreams and potentially a switch to dirt in the Preakness if he wins Saturday. Look for jockey Umberto Rispoli – who comes up from Santa Anita as well and will ride for the first time – to position Endlessly about fourth or fifth in the backstretch behind what could be an honest pace, and then angle him out for a winning rally in the far turn. Michael McCarthy trained 2021 El Camino Real Derby winner and subsequent Preakness winner Rombauer, and he also trained the filly Paved, who won this race in 2018.
Bet on Endlessly in the El Camino Real Derby
7. Tapalo (3-1)
Jockey: Evin Roman
Trainer: John Sadler
Owner: Hronis Racing
Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $42,020
Earnings per start: $10,505
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: Tapiture – Agent Romanoff, by Empire Maker
Color: Bay
Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This New York-bred Tapiture ridgling joins Endlessly and Guy Named Joe as Southern California invaders for the El Camino Real Derby. He ships in off of a pacesetting, 2 ¾-length win in a maiden optional claiming race Jan. 12 held at seven furlongs on Santa Anita Park’s main dirt track. He also ran well in his final start as a 2-year-old last December, finishing third by a neck in a one-mile maiden special weight race at Del Mar after contesting the pace. Tapalo has posted a pair of swift workouts at Santa Anita since his maiden win on Jan. 12 and could be the “speed of the speed” in the El Camino Real Derby, as his main pace competitors are Golden Gate-based runners with lower speed figures. Definitely a horse to consider for exacta and trifecta bets, with a chance at the upset if Endlessly fails to fire.
Bet on Tapalo in the El Camino Real Derby
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8. Guy Named Joe (5-1)
Jockey: Alexander Chavez
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Owners: My Way Racing, West Coast Stables, Barbara Evenson, John O’Keefe, and Timothy O’Keefe
Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $72,360
Earnings per start: $14,472
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100
Pedigree: American Pharoah – Hungry Island, by More Than Ready
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah might offer the best value as an upset candidate in the El Camino Real Derby come post time. Guy Named Joe ships in from the competitive SoCal circuit off of a sharp maiden win in a one-mile turf race Dec. 29 at Santa Anita Park, where he rallied from near the back of the pack to score by a length under Umberto Rispoli. Prior to that win, Guy Named Joe hit the board in his three prior starts, all on turf, checking in second and third in races at Santa Anita and then second by a half-length at Del Mar in his start before breaking through back at Santa Anita. He closed from well off the pace in all of those starts and can be expected to settle near the back of the El Camino Real Derby field early on before getting into gear on the far turn. Handling a mile and an eighth should be no problem at all for him – he has arguably the best pedigree of any starter, as his dam Hungry Island won Grade 2 stakes on turf at both one mile and 1 1/8 miles. Rispoli will ride favored Endlessly Saturday, but Guy Named Joe gets the services of young jockey Alexander Chavez, who has teamed up with trainer Doug O’Neill to win at a 29% clip over the past year-plus at Golden Gate. O’Neill trained 2016 El Camino Real Derby winner Frank Conversation.
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