Declan’s Moon Steps to the Front

Funny Cide ended a 74-year drought for geldings at the Kentucky Derby when he won the race last year. Breeders, mainly from Kentucky, groused. Those same sorrowful breeders are uneasy again, now that the undefeated Declan’s Moon, another gelding, has won the Hollywood Futurity, clinched the division title and become the early favorite for the 2005 Derby.

“Now it’s a matter of luck,” said trainer Ron Ellis, referring to the injury factor, after his Declan’s Moon beat Wilko and Proud Accolade, the other top contenders for the Eclipse award, in Saturday’s $449,500 Futurity. Ellis said that Declan’s Moon would remain stabled at Hollywood Park but run his two or three preps at Santa Anita before the Derby May 7.

Victor Espinoza, who won the Derby with War Emblem in 2002, rode Declan’s Moon to a one-length win, in a time of 1:41 3/5 , the second-fastest in the last seven runnings of the 1 1/16 -mile race. Giacomo, at 15-1, nosed out Wilko, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, for second and Southern Africa finished fourth.

Proud Accolade, the New York horse who had trained sharply at Hollywood Park, was fifth, beaten by 13 lengths. The field was reduced to seven with the scratch of General Jumbo, who ran a fever earlier in the week.

Declan’s Moon is owned by Mace and Samantha Siegel, who bought him last year at a Maryland auction for $125,000. The Futurity was the horse’s fourth straight win and his first around two turns. Because Declan’s Moon skipped the Breeders’ Cup, he needed another win to impress voters. The last 2-year-old champion to also win the Derby was Spectacular Bid in 1978-79.

“He played with them,” said Mace Siegel, who’s been racing horses for more than 40 years. “I was confident all the way. I think this horse is the real thing. He looks the part and he’s run to the part. We did the right thing, by not rushing him and keeping him out of the Breeders’ Cup. He’s a gelding, so we can take our time with him and hope he’s around for a long time.”

Declan’s Moon was odds-on until minutes before post, when some of the money on him shifted to Wilko. The winner, earning $269,700, paid $4.40.

Bushwacker, who finished last, angled over from the No. 6 post to lead after half a mile, but Declan’s Moon overtook him down the backstretch. Declan’s Moon, Wilko and Giacomo were 1-2-3 heading into the stretch, the only time Ellis felt trepidations.

“I got a little nervous,” the trainer said, “because my horse was trying to pull himself up and goofing around. I’ve seen horses with leads do that before and get beat. This horse is still learning. The only time he really gave his all was when he won the Del Mar Futurity. We haven’t reached the bottom of him yet.”

Espinoza also rides Fusaichi Samurai and Texcess, other top 2-year-olds.

“There are five months to go,” he said. “I just consider myself very lucky to have been riding all three. [Declan’s Moon] is just so competitive. I didn’t want to go to the lead, but at the three-eighths I had to go because [Wilko] put some pressure on us from the inside. After that, he was putting his ears up and down, and I had to get after him a couple of times to get his attention. It was definitely easier than it might have looked.”

Corey Nakatani, who rode Wilko, was unhappy with the way the race was run.

“I got bounced off the fence and it cost me second,” Nakatani said. “The winner ran a good race, but I thought I had him. I came up inside of him and [Espinoza] pulled the horse’s head in and bounced me off the fence. You’re not supposed to do that stuff.”

There was no foul claim by Nakatani.

For the second straight race, the previously unbeaten Proud Accolade was flat.

“I was where I wanted to be,” jockey John Velazquez said. “I was right next to the winner the whole time. He just didn’t respond.”

The Eclipse awards, which include the horse-of-the-year trophy, will be presented in Beverly Hills on Jan. 24.

“Now I’ll have to go out and buy a tux,” Mace Siegel said. “Or else get out the old one.”

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For the second day this month, jockeys’ concerns about the turf course forced Hollywood Park to move some grass races to the main track. Saturday’s fifth and seventh races were affected, after the second race was run on grass.... Trainer Bobby Frankel’s Arvada won the $200,000 La Prevoyante Handicap at Calder. Other winners in Florida were Medallist in the $100,000 Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap, Dreadnaught in the $200,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap and Pies Prospect in the $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap.