Gormley shines at Santa Anita Derby

Gormley won the $1 million Santa Anita Derby by a half-length yesterday in the West’s major prep for the Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Gormley ran 11⁄ miles 8 in 1:51.16 and paid $14.40 to win at 6-1 odds. Battle of Midway was second, followed by Royal Mo and Reach the World in fourth. Illiad, the 3-1 favorite, finished fifth in the 13-horse field.

John Shirreffs trains Gormley and Royal Mo for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, who teamed to win the 2005 Kentucky Derby with 50-1 shot Giacomo.

Gormley earned 100 points in the system used to determine the 20-horse field for next month’s Kentucky Derby.

Blue Grass Stakes

Everything in Irap’s record suggested him being an afterthought behind unbeaten favorite McCraken. Of his previous seven starts he had three seconds, three fourths and a third.

All of which made the 31-1 longshot’s breakthrough upset in the $1 million, Grade 2 race at Keeneland as sweet as it was surprising.

Irap ($64.60) was a player from the start in the seven-horse field in Lexington, Ky., and he held his ground throughout before taking charge to cover 11⁄ miles in 8 1:50.39.

He pulled away from 7-2 third choice Practical Joke in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length, snatching 100 points McCraken was expected to win as the 8-5 favorite.

Wood Memorial

Irish War Cry won the $750,000 race and 100 points by 3A lengths at Aqueduct in New York, bouncing back from a poor performance in his previous start. Battalion Runner, cofavorite at 2-1 with Cloud

Computing, earned 40 points. Cloud Computing earned 20.