SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018

By Ed Golden —-

Bolt d’Oro, with Javier Castellano up, left, battle McKinzie and Mike Smith down the stretch and was declared the winner after McKinzie, who finished first, was disqualified, and placed second in the Grade II $400,000 San Felipe Stakes Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA.
©Benoit Photo

BOLT D’ORO
(outside)
Benoit Photo

• RACE OF THE MEET STIRS MIX OF EMOTIONS
• VAN DYKE HITS CONSECUTIVE ‘GRAND SLAM’
• LIVE RACING RESUMES AT 12 NOON THURSDAY

SAN FELIPE NOT SANS GAMUT OF FEELINGS

In a race that exceeded expectations in drama, excitement and controversy, Bolt d’Oro was awarded victory by way of disqualification of McKinzie in Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes.

The two leading Triple Crown candidates ran the gauntlet from the top of the stretch to the wire in the mile and one-sixteenth race that awarded 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner and 20 to the runner-up, and at the finish, McKinzie, on the rail under Mike Smith, had a head over Bolt d’Oro and Javier Castellano, each horse carrying 124 pounds.

Following a lengthy stewards’ inquiry and Castellano’s claim of foul, however, McKinzie’s number was taken down for bumping incidents in the stretch and Bolt d’Oro was moved into first for a victory worth $240,000.

Speaking on behalf of stewards Grant Baker, Scott Chaney and Kim Sawyer, CHRB Chief Steward and former Eclipse Award-winning jockey Darrel McHargue issued the following statement regarding the San Felipe DQ:

“It was a unanimous vote, yes. There were two incidents at the top of the stretch. The shots that were shown were inconclusive as to who initiated the contact at the top of the stretch. So they couldn’t be clear on any one horse. The incident near the sixteenth pole was clear.

“McKinzie, number four, came out under a left handed whip and shifted number one, Bolt d’Oro, out, off his path and cost him a better placing. The margin of win was only a head, so therefore, McKinzie was taken down.”

But the controversy over the disqualification will no doubt be fodder for racetrack conversation for some time to come. No one is more keenly aware of the agony of defeat via DQ than trainer David Bernstein, who witnessed Phil and Sophie Hersh’s The Wicked North finish first by 1 ½ lengths in the 1994 Big ’Cap, but subsequently have his number taken down in a most controversial decision.

“I think the disqualification was deserved,” said Bernstein. “McKinzie came out the last 16th, but it could have gone either way. The last bump was the kiss of death, however.

“You hate to see any disqualification in a big race, especially this one, because both horses ran their eyeballs out.”

Relief, pride, fulfillment and gratitude were but four emotions percolating through the veins of Mick Ruis, owner/trainer of Bolt d’Oro. The colt had missed his intended three-year-old debut on Feb. 10 in the San Vicente Stakes due to a pulled muscle, so Ruis, with time not on his side, had no alternative but to bring the son of Medaglia d’Oro into the San Felipe on works alone in his first start since finishing third after a wide trip Nov. 4 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Naysayers had a field day speculating that the horse wouldn’t be up to the task, but Mick and his wife and co-owner, Wendy, restrained malice, enjoying a low key celebration last night at home with family and friends.

Too soon for champagne, they brought in pizza from Dominoes.

“Give a lot of credit to Ruis,” said fellow trainer Richard Baltas. “His horse is the real deal and he deserves it.”

Now racing fans worldwide sit in anticipation of a rematch in the $1 million, Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 7, should the fates allow.

Both three-year-olds came out of their epic battle in good shape and are expected to meet again in the West Coast’s major steppingstone to the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

“Bolt came back fantastic, ate his food, his legs are tight and cold, so we live for another day,” Ruis said early Sunday morning. “He’s going to build off that race, because we didn’t have him all the way (cranked).”

Asked whether Javier Castellano would stay with Bolt in his upcoming races, since the four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey has other Triple Crown options pending some two months before the Run for the Roses, Ruis was non-committal.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “We have to talk to Javier and see what he wants to do, but I’ve got another jockey who’s licking his chops if he doesn’t want to ride,” alluding to Hall of Fame member, three-time Kentucky Derby winner and Triple Crown king Victor Espinoza.

Jim Barnes, assistant to Bob Baffert, trainer of McKinzie, said the previously unbeaten colt came back “very good. We’re in great shape.”

Ditto for racing, should Bolt and Mc meet again.

VAN DYKE’S FOUR-BAGGER PUTS HIM FOURTH IN STANDINGS

Thanks to a sweep of Saturday’s first four races, Drayden Van Dyke moved into fourth place in Santa Anita’s Winter Meet standings through 43 days with 27 victories.

The 23-year-old Louisville native won the first two races for Bob Baffert with Call West ($6.20) and McKale ($3.20); the second on Well Developed ($9.40) for Paddy Gallagher; and the fourth aboard City of Light ($4) in the Grade I Triple Bend Stakes for Michael McCarthy.

“I’m very pleased,” said his agent, Brad Pegram, who also represents Mike Smith. “Drayden is a really good rider and just keeps moving forward. He’s great to work with and very mature. He’s a really good kid and works hard.

“He has everything you’d want in a rider.”

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita will be closed for live racing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but be open for simulcast racing Wednesday with free admission and free parking. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. Live racing resumes Thursday, March 15 with first post time at 12 noon . . . Getting in main track workout licks Saturday morning before Sunday’s inclement weather were Triple Crown prospect Solomini, a bullet five furlongs in 59 flat for Bob Baffert; Santa Anita Oaks winner Paradise Woods, a bullet six furlongs in 1:12.60 for Richard Mandella; and champion male three-year-old of 2017 West Coast, six furlongs in 1:12.80, also for Baffert . . . Airfoil, 3-1 morning line favorite in today’s seventh race, has been claimed eight times from his last 12 races. The eight-year-old Bernaradini gelding, now trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, has a 9-12-9 record from 46 starts . . . Stewart Elliott has been suspended three days (March 17, 18 and 22) for causing interference on Tiny Tina in Friday’s seventh race.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Saturday, March 10)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Evin Roman 232 38 41 31 16% 47% $1,330,209
Flavien Prat 185 35 36 21 19% 50% $1,981,778
Kent Desormeaux 147 29 17 18 20% 44% $1,547,486
Drayden Van Dyke 130 27 16 11 21% 42% $1,729,882
Rafael Bejarano 166 26 17 32 16% 45% $1,145,296
Tyler Baze 210 25 33 24 12% 39% $1,484,534
Joseph Talamo 169 24 22 26 14% 43% $1,065,598
Geovanni Franco 133 19 18 21 14% 44% $795,550
Mike Smith 73 15 14 9 21% 52% $1,580,533
Corey Nakatani 78 14 18 8 18% 51% $1,132,668
Stewart Elliott 133 13 14 11 10% 29% $557,718
Tiago Pereira 133 12 15 18 9% 34% $592,204
Rajiv Maragh 126 12 14 17 10% 34% $644,847
Tyler Conner 90 12 7 11 13% 33% $376,945

Trainer Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Peter Miller 108 24 26 13 22% 58% $1,292,579
Bob Baffert 87 24 17 11 28% 60% $1,597,873
Richard Baltas 135 20 20 16 15% 41% $1,131,660
Jerry Hollendorfer 101 17 12 17 17% 46% $1,042,171
Philip D’Amato 103 14 19 17 14% 49% $1,148,629
Doug O’Neill 107 14 18 14 13% 43% $892,092
Vladimir Cerin 58 14 11 6 24% 53% $386,735
John Sadler 101 13 9 14 13% 36% $1,237,675
Mark Glatt 71 11 12 7 15% 42% $495,605
William E. Morey 30 10 2 8 33% 67% $404,163
Richard Mandella 55 8 11 9 15% 51% $525,610
Neil Drysdale 32 8 4 3 25% 47% $351,145
Michael McCarthy 38 7 5 6 18% 47% $645,830
Mike Puype 47 7 5 6 15% 38% $370,561
J. Keith Desormeaux 38 7 3 7 18% 45% $272,039

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.