With three trained by Graham Motion, one by Todd Pletcher, and one by Shug McGaughey, the Dec. 3 Hollywood Derby (G1T) field at Del Mar has a decided East Coast flavor. But California trainers are defending their turf with recent stakes firepower.
McGaughey's runner, Celestial City, is the only one of the 11 in the Hollywood Derby coming off back-to-back victories. In two races at Aqueduct, Celestial City won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the turf and returned to score in the 1 1/8-mile Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) by 2 1/4 lengths after stumbling at the start. Earlier this year he placed in two graded turf stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
"This horse's races have been good—he's run against some pretty tough competition," McGaughey said after the Hill Prince.
Celestial City dead-heated for second with Fuerteventura against winner Annapolis in the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga. In his next start, Annapolis captured the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.
McGaughey has named Ramon Vazquez to ride Celestial City from post 3.
Pletcher is sending out Wit (Flavien Prat, post 9), whose only three turf starts resulted in seconds in graded stakes at Saratoga and Keeneland and a win in the restricted Better Talk Now Stakes at a mile at Saratoga. Earlier this year on the dirt, Wit took the Bay Shore Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct. At 2, Wit broke his maiden in his debut by six lengths and added the Sanford Stakes (G3) by eight lengths before placing in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1).
WIT is enjoying the salty ocean air blowing through his hair!! Wit is running tomorrow in the G1 Hollywood Derby @DelMarRacing for Repole Stable, St.Elias Stable and @Gainesway! 🌊 🏄♂️ pic.twitter.com/LViCi7bVHn
— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) December 2, 2022
Three recent Southern California stakes could prove instructive regarding the Hollywood Derby outcome. Eight of the Hollywood Derby entrants competed in one or more of the Nov. 11 Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar, Oct. 29 Twilight Derby (G2T) at Santa Anita Park, and Sept. 3 Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby (G2T). All three races were for 3-year-olds on the turf, the two derbies at the same 1 1/8-mile distance of the Hollywood Derby and the Let It Ride, a restricted mile turf event.
Cabo Spirit won the Twilight Derby after finishing fifth in the Del Mar Derby. He had to race five wide in the Del Mar Derby, but in the Twilight Derby he closed successfully and scored by a half-length over favored Speaking Scout, a Hollywood Derby rival. Both times a slow early pace worked against Cabo Spirit's come-from-behind style.
"There was no pace for him (in the Del Mar Derby), and that I think made him fall back," said trainer George Papaprodromou. "But he made a big run, went wide, and that cost him a little bit."
The trainer noted that despite another slow early pace in the Twilight Derby—the first quarter-mile in :25.07 and the first half-mile in :49.89—"we got it done."
Joe Bravo, who will ride Cabo Spirit from the rail, has piloted the gelding most of this year. At Del Mar together, they won the 1 1/16-mile La Jolla Handicap (G3T) Aug. 7.
Speaking Scout is one of the three Motion runners, along with Script and Evan Harlan. The Twilight Derby was Speaking Scout's first start in California. Prior to that he won the Oct. 1 Hawthorne Derby Presented by BetMakers by five lengths. At 2 Speaking Scout ran second in the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Juan Hernandez is to ride from post 10.
An allowance winner at Keeneland and stakes-placed at Parx, Script ran second by a nose to Handy Dandy in the Let It Ride. Umberto Rispoli will be aboard Script from post 2. Evan Harlan broke his maiden at Aqueduct in his last start, leading throughout. Motion has named Edwin Maldonado to ride from post 6.
Prior to his Let It Ride victory, Handy Dandy finished fourth in the Twilight Derby. Peter Miller trains Handy Dandy, who gets the services of jockey Florent Geroux from post 4.
Mark Glatt trains Spycatcher, who is still a maiden, but finished third to Handy Dandy and Script in the Let It Ride and second to Slow Down Andy in the Del Mar Derby. Ryan Curatolo piloted Spycatcher in both of those races and is again slated to ride the colt, who drew post 7.
Ron Ellis trains War At Sea, third in the Del Mar Derby for jockey Mike Smith, who is back aboard from post 8. Prior to the Del Mar Derby, War At Sea and Smith won three consecutive races, culminating in the June 4 Cinema Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the turf at Santa Anita.
Del Mar, Saturday, December 3, 2022, Race 9Entries: Hollywood Derby (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Cabo Spirit (KY) Joe Bravo 122 George Papaprodromou 5/1 2 2Script (KY) Umberto Rispoli 122 H. Graham Motion 8/1 3 3Celestial City (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 4/1 4 4Handy Dandy (FL) Florent Geroux 122 Peter Miller 8/1 5 5St Anthony (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 122 Neil D. Drysdale 30/1 6 6Evan Harlan (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 122 H. Graham Motion 20/1 7 7Spycatcher (KY) Ryan Curatolo 122 Mark Glatt 12/1 8 8War At Sea (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Ronald W. Ellis 6/1 9 9Wit (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Todd A. Pletcher 7/2 10 10Speaking Scout (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 122 H. Graham Motion 6/1 11 11Clutch Hitter (KY) Victor Espinoza 122 John A. Shirreffs 15/1
