Brother Derek Becomes a Factor

Brother Derek made a name for himself Saturday at Hollywood Park.

In his first start since fading to fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in late October, the 2-year-old colt won the 1 1/16 -mile Hollywood Futurity by a length over favorite Your Tent Or Mine, dropping his name into the hat as an early contender for the Kentucky Derby in May.

“Don’t kid yourself, all we think about is winning the Derby,” said trainer Dan Hendricks. “If you ask 1,000 people on the street about horse racing, they’re going to say Kentucky Derby and Bill Shoemaker.”

Jockey Alex Solis, who won his fourth Hollywood Futurity to tie Laffit Pincay for the most victories in the race’s 25-year history, said Brother Derek appears to have what it takes to be a Derby contender.

“In December, we all start hoping for a horse like this,” he said.

Brother Derek, only the fifth California-bred horse to win the Futurity, escaped trouble out of the gate, bumping Your Tent Or Mine after his opening stride. He then trailed leader Old Thunder through the first turn before moving alongside him on the backstretch. He took the lead heading into the final turn and held off Your Tent Or Mine to win in 1:42.02, his third victory in five starts.

After a brief stewards’ inquiry caused by the early contact, Brother Derek was confirmed the winner. Brother Derek, who opened at 9-2 odds before going off at 7-2, paid $9.20 for the victory and earned $244,350.

“This horse is very, very special,” Solis said. “I love his mentality. He’s very laid back, a very smart horse and has a great will to win.”

Brother Derek was purchased in March for $275,000 and named after a Mormon missionary. The son of Miss Soft Cell and sire Benchmark won his debut at Hollywood Park in May and finished first in the Grade II Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita in early October. Four weeks later at Belmont Park in New York, he went off at 56-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, a race that was also 1 1/16 miles but was held on a longer track and required only one turn. He moved within a length of the lead on the turn, but faded down the stretch.

“If it were two turns, that would have been totally different,” Hendricks said. “I know that he’s a two-turn horse. He proved it today.”

Hendricks, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a motocross accident in July 2004, said Brother Derek rebounded well in the three workouts since.

“For some reason, he just matured from then until now,” Hendricks said. “We just started to see him ripple and grow up some more. I don’t know what brought it about, but it was good timing.”

Hendricks, 47, credited his father, Lee, a former trainer and stuntman, with teaching him the tricks of the trade, and veteran trainer Richard Mandella with helping him break in Brother Derek last summer at Del Mar and Belmont Park.

“You bounce things off walls,” he said. “And to bounce things off those walls really helps.”

Giacomo, last year’s runner-up in the Futurity, went on to win the Kentucky Derby, becoming the fifth horse to race in the Futurity and win the Kentucky Derby. Hendricks said he plans to next race Brother Derek at Santa Anita in mid-January.

“We’ll keep two-turning and space the races out anywhere from three to six weeks,” he said. “We’re not scared to run him and, of course, we want to keep him fresh. He doesn’t require a lot of maintenance.”

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The Hollywood Starlet is scheduled for today at Hollywood Park and two of the top 2-year-old fillies, Balance and Meetmeinthewoods, are expected to challenge for the victory.

Balance is the Kentucky-bred daughter of Thunder Gulch, the 1995 Kentucky Derby winner. She has won all three starts in her career. Meetmeinthewoods is a California-bred who produced a solid victory at six furlongs in 1:08 3/5 at Hollywood Park on Nov. 27.

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Jockey Martin Pedroza was suspended for three days Friday for failing to maintain a straight course in the stretch run of the fourth race Thursday at Hollywood Park. Pedroza will be suspended the first three days of the Santa Anita meet, beginning Dec. 26.