Horse racing newsletter: It’s Derby Day

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we congratulate Oaks winner Malathaat.

This is the biggest day of the racing year for non-racing fans. And it’s a pretty big day for racing fans too. We’ve been covering the Derby all week, so there’s not a whole lot left to say. But if you need a close look at all the horses, we’ll direct you back to Friday’s newsletter, where Jon White ranks them 1 to 20 with a synopsis of each horse. You can find it here.

New on Friday was that the field was down to 19 as King Fury scratched due to a fever and elevated white cell count, which usually indicates an infection. He was in the 16 post, so 17-20 will move in a spot.

Also, we also did a story on Boat Racing— five former Brown football players, all in their late 20s — who owns a piece of Hot Rod Charlie, 8-1 on the morning line. It’s a fun story. Just click here

And, we set up today’s Kentucky Derby by looking at Rock Your World, the horse trained by John Sadler who was bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally. The winner of the Santa Anita Derby is the 5-1 second choice in the race. Just click here.

Today, race day, we’ll be doing a live blog starting at 6 a.m. PDT. It can be found on The Times’ sports homepage, which is right here. A lot of the material will look familiar to newsletter readers, but there will be fresh stuff too, including updates on the Derby odds.

Oh, final thought. Remember this: 3:57 p.m. PDT, NBC.

Malathaat wins Kentucky Oaks

You’ve got to say this year’s edition of the Kentucky Oaks was a really good race. All the horses you expected to be there were near or on the front, and then there was a sterling stretch duel between Malathaat and Search Results. Just when you thought Malathaat had it won, Search Results battled back on the inside. In the end, Malathaat won by a neck.

It was trainer Todd Pletcher’s fourth win in the Oaks, with the other wins with Ashado (2004), Rags To Riches (2007) and Princess Of Sylmar (2013).

Malathaat paid $7.00, $4.60 and $3.40. Search results was second, followed by Will’s Secret, Clairiere, Travel Column, Millefeuille, Maracuja, Pauline’s Pearl, Coach, Crazy Beautiful, Moraz, Pass The Champagne and Competitive Speed.

Pletcher (winning trainer): “She got away from there just a bit slow, but Johnny [Velazquez] moved her up and got her in a much better position. He had to lose some ground and go wide to do it, but it was the right thing to do. She wants a target to run at and she got one here. Delighted with the outcome.”

Velazquez (winning jockey): “She didn’t get away the best, but I got a spot with her. She was running well and when I turned for home I had a target (Search Results) to send her after. We got up next to her and my filly went by. Then she waited a bit; she does that. The other filly came back but I could tell I was still in control. I never thought I was going to do anything but win.”

(Note: This newsletter’s Louis Rabaut, known around the racing world as Mr. Oaks — or maybe just by a handful of people — in his last rankings in this space had the first five finishers in his top six and he called the winner. That’s value.)

Santa Anita review

Let’s be honest, with three races all valued at $61,000 and all three being maiden specials for Cal-breds, there really wasn’t a feature. So, we’ll skip this for today. But, if you’re curious, remember we give you full charts of all the races at the bottom of this newsletter.

Santa Anita preview

Santa Anita’s Derby Day card is 10 races starting at 12:30 p.m. with the gates opening at 7 a.m. Half the races are on the turf (1 and the even numbers starting with 4). There are 1½ stakes including a Grade 3. The half-stakes, designated by me as such because it only has four starters. Yikes. It’s the $75,000 Angels Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs.

The race was named after the world’s shortest railway at Bunker Hill in downtown L.A. (There were five horses by this name but none amounted to much.) There was also a great mystery novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, the former L.A. Times reporter who went on to do way better and more lucrative things. Guess I’m doing everything I can to avoid talking about this race, which has Missy P as the 4-5 favorite for trainer Richard Mandella and jockey Tyler Baze. She won her only start by 9½ lengths. Astute is the 6-5 second choice for Mandella and Juan Hernandez. She has won two of her three races. No show betting, as if that needs to be said. Post is around 2:46 p.m.

They are dragging out the card to the bitter end for Saturday’s feature, the Grade 3 $100,000 Senorita Stakes. It’s for 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf. You can guess which gender of horses is running. And there are 11 starters. The favorite, at 5-2, is Closing Remarks for Carla Gaines and Victor Espinoza. Five of her six races have been stakes, and she is coming off a second in a Grade 3. Madone is the 3-1 second choice for Simon Callaghan and Hernandez. She has been off since the Breeders’ Cup, where she ran eighth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. She won her first three races before going to Keeneland. Post is around 6:10 p.m., after the Kentucky Derby.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 12, 5, 6, 7, 4, 10, 7, 12 (2 also eligible), 9, 11.

Ciaran Thornton’s SA pick of the day

THIRD RACE: No.1 Eel Point (8-1)

Eel Point makes the second start off the claim for trainer Doug O’Neill, who is winning an impressive 36% and is 62% in-the-money. Last out on the all-weather course going six furlongs, this horse, which loves to close, made a late move to finish fifth, less than two lengths back after closing from seven lengths back. Prior on dirt, Eel won going seven furlongs. Sharp work and a ground saving inside post, the 8-1 morning line price is very attractive, given we have a ⅘ favorite in this race that will likely be overbet.

Friday’s result: Cover Vision walked out of the gate and didn’t seem to give much effort.

Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, longshots of the day, best bets of the day.

Golden Gate preview

Matt Dinerman is back for another week of Golden Gate Fields racing. The genial race caller is the host for our weekly previews and other musings. So, take it away, Matt.

“Happy Kentucky Derby Day! Although most eyes will be on Churchill Downs, Golden Gate is looking forward to its Saturday program with 10 races with a 12:45 p.m. first post. Let’s first talk about the seventh race, an allowance for filly and mare sprinters. You can expect Away From the Sun to go off at low odds, as last out she competed at this level and easily beat Southern California shipper Over Attracted, who is also entered. Away From the Sun has won all three lifetime starts by a combined 16 lengths. Trainer Blaine Wright has Evin Roman to ride. Unless somebody else in the race takes a massive step forward, she will be my key horse on all multi-race wagers.

“The play of the day, however, comes in the eighth where the eight, Cheater’s Waltz, makes her second lifetime start for trainer Steve Miyadi and caught my eye making a midstretch move from the back of the field in her debut. She finished third, but was making up a ton of ground late and galloped out strong. William Antongeorgi III was aboard that day and retains the mount.

“Sunday’s nine-race card has a first post time of 1:20 p.m. with the seventh as the feature, an allowance for colts and geldings. Irrefutable comes off a massive win last time out, setting a fast pace before blowing the doors off his competition down the lane. He bumps up in class and figures to be competitive with a similar effort. Tom’s Surprise finished as the runner up at this level two starts ago and freshens up for leading trainer Jonathan Wong. In his second start off the claim, he looks like a major player again. Jungle Cry is a 3-year-old facing older but has shown promise for the strong jockey/trainer combination of Frank Alvarado and Steve Specht. He merits a second look.

“Last week’s Gold Rush Weekend races were outstanding. The big race, the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, was won by Whisper Not and jockey Geovanni Franco. Trainer Richard Baltas picked up his second consecutive victory in the race, having won last year’s edition with Neptune’s Storm. In the California Derby, Wong ran 1-2 with winner Stalking Shadow and Jimmy Irish. Several Southern California shippers won other stakes: the Richard Mandella-trained Pizazz won the California Oaks, Gypsy Spirit was a 30-1 upset winner in the Camilla Urso Stakes for trainer Leonard Powell, and Altea got back to winning form in the Golden Poppy for Michael McCarthy. Peter Miller won a pair of stakes with Anyportinastorm in the Lost in the Fog and None Above the Law in Sunday’s Silky Sullivan. Jockey Kyle Frey rode local filly I’m So Anna to victory in the Campanile Stakes. Frey and Roman both won three stakes over the weekend.

“To end, my Kentucky Derby pick is No. 15 Rock Your World. I project he receives a stalking trip right off the speed, and he should love the classic distance. To win like he did at Santa Anita was very impressive, especially since he had only run twice and was making his first career start on dirt. He certainly has a bright future. He’ll get the acid test today. Good luck!”

Big races review

A look at thoroughbred graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more Friday.

Churchill Downs (1): $118,000 allowance, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Powder River ($12.60)

Churchill Downs (2): $115,000 maiden special weight, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Distorted Verve ($66.20)

Churchill Downs (3): $118,000 allowance/optional claiming, fillies 3-years-old, 6 ½ furlongs. Winner: Australasia ($4.40)

Churchill Downs (4): $118,000 allowance/optional claiming, fillies 3-year-old, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Illiogami ($7.00)

Churchill Downs (5): $124,000 allowance/optional claiming, 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Winner: Strong Tide ($18.00)

Churchill Downs (6) Grade 2 $400,000 Alysheba Stakes, 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Maxfield ($3.00)

Belmont (3): $100,000 Flat Out Stakes, 4 and up, 1 3/8 miles. Winner: Musical Heart ($7.50)

Churchill Downs (7): Grade 2 $300,000 Edgewood Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Gift List ($10.80)

Churchill Downs (8): Grade 1 $500,000 La Troienne Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Shedaresthedevil ($5.40)

Churchill Downs (9): Grade 2 $300,000 Eight Belles Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 7 furlongs. Winner: Obligatory ($35.00)

Churchill Downs (10): Grade 2 $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint, 3 and up, 5 ½ furlongs on turf. Winner: Fast Boat ($10.40)

Belmont (9): $100,000 License Fee Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 6 furlongs on turf. Winner: She’s My Type ($9.50)

Oaklawn (8): $105,000 allowance/optional claiming, 4 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: D’Rapper ($12.60)

Churchill Downs (11): Grade 1 $1.25-million Kentucky Oaks, fillies, 3-years-old, 1 1/8 miles. Winner: Malathaat ($7.00)

Oaklawn (9): $108,000 allowance/optional claiming, 4 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Empire Of Gold ($3.80)

Churchill Downs (12): $121,000 allowance/optional claiming, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Mintd ($9.00)

Oaklawn (10): $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship, Ark-bred 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Tempt Fate ($5.80)

Churchill Downs (13): $115,000 maiden special weight, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Portilla ($32.40)

Big races preview

A look at thoroughbred graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more Saturday. All times PDT.

7:30 Churchill Downs (1): $118,000 allowance, 3 and up, 1 mile. Favorite: Cool Bobby (3-1)

8:01 Churchill Downs (2): $115,000 maiden special weight, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Favorite: Cadencia (2-1)

8:31 Churchill Downs (3): $115,000 maiden special weight, 3 and up, 1 mile. Favorite: Cash Rocket (3-1)

9:04 Churchill Downs (4): $121,000 allowance/optional claiming, 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Favorite: Gear Jockey (4-1)

9:36 Churchill Downs (5): $118,000 allowance/optional claiming, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles. Favorite: Ghazaaly (5-2)

10:14 Churchill Downs (6): Grade 2 $500,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, fillies and mares 4 and up, 1 mile on turf. Favorite: Got Stormy (8-5)

10:32 Belmont (3): Grade 3 $200,000 Westchester Stakes, 4 and up, 1 mile. Favorite: Dr Post (6-5)

10:56 Churchill Downs (7): Grade 1 $500,000 Derby City Distaff Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 7 furlongs. Favorite: Gamine (1-5)

11:37 Belmont (5): Grade 2 $200,000 Fort Marcy Stakes, 4 and up, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Favorite: Rockemperor (6-5)

11:48 Churchill Downs (8): Grade 2 $500,000 Pat Day Mile, 3-year-olds, 1 mile. Favorite: Jackie’s Warrior (3-1)

12:24 Oaklawn (5): $105,000 allowance/optional claiming, 3-year-olds, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Ultimate (5-2)

12:40 Churchill Downs (9): Grade 2 $500,000 American Turf Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Favorite: Annex (7-2)

1:31 Churchill Downs (10): Grade 1 $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes, 4 and up, 7 furlongs. Favorite: Flagstaff (3-1)

2:09 Oaklawn (8): $105,000 allowance/optional claiming, 3-year-old, 1 1/16 miles. Favorite: Mr. Wireless (5-2)

2:27 Churchill Downs (11): Grade 1 $1-million Turf Classic Stakes, 4 and up, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Favorite: Colonel Liam (3-1)

2:37 Belmont (10): Grade 2 $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 1 3/8 miles on turf. Favorite: Always Shopping (2-1)

2:45 Oaklawn (9): $106,000 allowance/optional claiming, 4 and up, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Bank (3-1)

3:26 Oaklawn (10): $105,000 allowance/optional claiming, 4 and up, 1 1/8 miles. Favorite: Thomas Shelby (3-1)

3:57 Churchill Downs (12): Grade 1 $3-million Kentucky Derby, 3-year-olds, 1¼ miles. Favorite: Essential Quality (2-1)

4:18 Oaklawn (11): $300,000 Oaklawn Invitational, 3-year-olds 1 1/8 miles. Favorite: Scarred (5-2)

4:55 Churchill Downs (13): $118,000 allowance/optional claiming, 3-year-olds, 6 ½ furlongs. Favorite: Triple Trap (4-1)

5:30 Churchill Downs (14): $115,000 maiden special weight, 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Mr. Sippi (3-1)

6:10 Santa Anita (10): Grade 3 $100,000 Senorita Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 1 mile on turf. Favorite: Closing Remarks (5-2)

Chris Wade’s LA pick of the day

SIXTH RACE: No. 2 Relentless Times (7-2)

Trouble finds him, but he’s improved in each subsequent start on my charts and the sophomore resides in an up-and-coming shedrow that can pop with a price. In this gelding’s last effort, he got a little rambunctious in the gate by leaning back at the gate opening to lose over a length and a half. With a tough start to overcome, the 3-year-old showed a decent amount of speed to get within yelling distance of his rivals before finishing strongly to be beaten a neck by the winner at the wire. With a very competitive number on his docket and an elusive clean journey hoped for this evening, this runner could and should be a player for all the board placings at a medium mutual.

And now the stars of the show, Friday’s results and Saturday’s entries.