Comma to the Top is a shoe-in at CashCall Futurity

When Comma to the Top arrives at Churchill Downs in May for the Kentucky Derby, he will be a horse with great promise. Also, a horse with quite a story line.

The story line unfolded Saturday at Hollywood Park during the $750,000 CashCall Futurity. Actually, before the rich horse for 2-year-olds.

Comma to the Top, a Florida-bred trained by Peter Miller and ridden by Corey Nakatani, was the 5-2 favorite and was seeking his fifth consecutive victory. All seemed normal as the 10 horses gathered in the paddock. It was drama enough, just knowing that the winner, and even those making a good showing, would likely be in the Derby on May 7, assuming continued health. The winner of this race would get $375,000 of the $750,000, and that alone would be more than enough to handle the Derby’s qualifying money list.

Then, as the horses strolled in the muddy paddock, with rain continuing to pour down and daylight slipping away, Miller discovered that Comma to the Top had thrown a shoe from his right rear hoof in the walk over from the barns.

The drama began.

A blacksmith, Fernando Alvarez, was called and it took him about seven minutes to get to the saddling area. Then, as he was fitting the new shoe, Comma to the Top reared back and stepped on Alvarez, who was injured badly enough that paramedics were called. Alvarez was carted off on a stretcher.

“It was obvious he couldn’t shoe him,” Miller said afterward. “I hope he is OK.”

A bolt of good fortune came next. Fellow trainer Neil Drysdale was watching on TV, called Miller to ask what had happened, and said he would send another farrier, Wes Champagne, which he did.

The clock was ticking, the rain was getting heavier. People standing around in mud tend to get angry, especially those who own expensive young horses that they think have a chance at the Triple Crown season. The grumbling continued, but as Miller said, “There was no way I was going to scratch the horse.”

The race that was to go off at 4:37 p.m. went off at 5:05. Even the fans were angry now, several yelling suggestions in the form of obscenities from the top of the grandstand about what the stewards should have done to end the delay.

They went to the gate, for a race that has produced six Kentucky Derby winners, and Miller admitted he was a mess.

“I didn’t know if he would run or not,” he said. “He had an excuse to throw in a bad race. He is such a docile horse, but he was real upset.”

Soon, Comma to the Top took his frustrations out on the other nine in the field, making a big move at the eighth pole, and won by 1¾ lengths, cruising a bit after opening up to five lengths in his stretch run.

Nakatani best summed up the race, from paddock to finish line.

“Wow, that was something,” he said. “…The move on the turn felt great. It feels like you are on a Ferrari.”

bill.dwyre@latimes.com