Stay Hot brings the best résumé to the Oct. 26 Twilight Derby (G2T) at Santa Anita Park. The four-time stakes winner on the turf is set to meet six rivals, including shipper Twirling Point, the only other grass stakes winner.
Following a 10th in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) as a horse eligible for a non-winners of two, Stay Hot reeled off three consecutive stakes victories for trainer Peter Eurton. The son of Summer Front wanted no part of Churchill Downs when unplaced in the American Turf Stakes (G2T) May 4, but he quickly returned to form at Del Mar. Stay Hot captured the La Jolla Handicap and ran second by a half-length in the Del Mar Derby (G2T) to Formidable Man, who was nominated but not entered in the Twilight Derby.
Eurton has named regular pilot Antonio Fresu to ride Stay Hot, and they drew post 4.
Stay Hot would seem to be the likely leading earner in the Twilight Derby. However, his $362,160 falls short of Rothschild's $379,390. Rothschild has yet to win a stakes, though he has placed in his last three attempts, including a third to Formidable Man in the July 20 Oceanside Stakes. Trainer Tim Yakteen then sent Rothschild to Kentucky Downs, where the son of Uncle Mo earned $290,050 of his total by finishing third in the Nashville Derby Invitational (G3T). Kazushi Kimura will ride from post 6.
Juan Hernandez, Santa Anita's current leading jockey, will pilot Cathal for the first time for trainer John Sadler. Cathal, who drew post 5, is coming off a 1 1/4-length win at 1 1/16 miles on the turf in an optional claiming/allowance race at Del Mar. He broke his maiden at a mile at Santa Anita three starts back.
Jonathan Thomas has entered Twirling Point to take on the Twilight Derby contingent, though the trainer has also entered the gelding in the one-mile Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland the same day. Twirling Point drew the outside post in both events, under jockey Umberto Rispoli at Santa Anita and Frankie Dettori at Keeneland. Twirling Point would be parked further outside in the Bryan Station, which attracted a full field of 12 plus three also-eligibles.
Wynstock and Curlin's Kaos are stakes winners, but on dirt.
Wynstock, trained by Bob Baffert and to be ridden by Kyle Frey from post 3, captured the 2023 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and June 29 Los Alamitos Derby. In his only attempt on turf, Wynstock ran sixth down the Santa Anita hillside course in the May 19 Desert Code Stakes.
Curlin's Kaos won the seven-furlong Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 2, a race restricted to California-breds and California-sired runners. He has faced open company three times, with a third in the Los Alamitos Derby and fourths in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Sunland Park Derby (G3). Curlin's Kaos was a veterinarian scratch in the Del Mar Derby. Trainer Antonio Garcia has named Diego Herrera to ride from post 2.
Hector Berrios will ride Atitlan from the rail for trainer John Shirreffs. After breaking his maiden in his second start and first try on turf, Atitlan, who was unraced at 2, ran third in the La Jolla and Del Mar Derby.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, October 26, 2024, Race 7Entries: Twilight Derby (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Atitlan (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 124 John A. Shirreffs - 2 Curlin's Kaos (CA) Diego A. Herrera 124 Antonio C. Garcia - 3 Wynstock (NY) Kyle Frey 124 Bob Baffert - 4 Stay Hot (KY) Antonio Fresu 124 Peter Eurton - 5 Cathal (IRE) Juan J. Hernandez 124 John W. Sadler - 6 Rothschild (KY) Kazushi Kimura 124 Tim Yakteen - 7 Twirling Point (KY) Umberto Rispoli 124 Jonathan Thomas -
