Surf Cat Sails Like a Day at the Beach

After doing the expected and winning the $128,000 Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Sunday at Santa Anita, Surf Cat will be playing a different game when the circuit shifts to Hollywood Park later this month.

The 4-year-old Sir Cat colt, who won his second Grade II sprint of the winter-spring season as the 1-5 favorite Sunday, will stretch out in Inglewood. Bruce Headley, who trains Surf Cat for his wife Aase and Marsha Naify, has three targets in mind for the extremely talented colt.

Immediately after Surf Cat won for the sixth time in 10 starts and gave Headley his sixth win in the Potrero Grande, the trainer talked about the Mervyn LeRoy on May 13, the Californian on June 17 and Hollywood Park’s most storied event, the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 8. The distance of those three races ranges from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/4 miles.

On Sunday, Surf Cat was outrun early, as anticipated, then came wide into the stretch and from there it was just a question of who would be second among the other four entrants in the Potrero Grande.

The nod went to 5-1 third choice Grinding It Out, who was 1 1/2 lengths better than Oceanus, the longest shot in the group at 28-1, then came Areyoutalkintome, the final stakes mount for jockey Felipe Martinez, who retired after the card on Sunday, and Keep On Punching.

“I just had to hold on,” said Solis. “He’s just a good horse. He will do some great things. God willing, he stays healthy.”

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In what was his final major work for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, Brother Derek went five furlongs in 1:00.20 under regular rider Alex Solis on Sunday morning.

“Alex was just sitting on him, nice and relaxed,” said Dan Hendricks, who trains the 3-year-old son of Benchmark for owner Cecil Peacock. “Alex never moved on him. Everything is going to plan. He’s healthy, he’s happy and we are ready to roll. He’s a little machine.”

Five days before the 1 1/8 Derby is run for the 69th time, six others are considered probable -- A.P. Warrior; Sacred Light; Point Determined, who will be ridden for the first time by Rafael Bejarano; Fast Parade; Indy Wildcat; and Wildfang, a no-chance maiden.

Point Determined, who was second to A.P. Warrior in the San Felipe on March 18, and Sacred Light, the runner-up to Brother Derek in the Santa Catalina on March 4, also worked Sunday morning. Point Determined went five furlongs in 59.80 for trainer Bob Baffert and Sacred Light went six furlongs in 1:12 at Hollywood Park for trainer David Hofmans.