Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Bolt d’Oro targets San Felipe
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 2-year-old male of 2017, has resumed training after recovering from a pulled muscle and is likely to have his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 10 at Santa Anita.
Owner and trainer Mick Ruis said Wednesday that Bolt d’Oro will have a two-race campaign in preparation for the Kentucky Derby, with the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7 another targeted race.
The $400,000 San Felipe Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles and is a key prep for the Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles. The San Felipe field is expected to include McKinzie, undefeated winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Cash-Call Futurity last month and the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday.
“I think it will be good timing for him,” Ruis said of the San Felipe. “We’ll have a lot of competition. That will be fun.”
Bolt d’Oro was briefly taken out of training to undergo tests after the colt showed signs of distress in his hind end. He was cleared to resume training after a nuclear scan showed no problems. Ruis said Bolt d’Oro may have become cast in his stall.
“I had to be cautious,” he said. “You don’t want to gallop if he’s a little stiff.”
Bolt d’Oro could have his first workout of the year within two weeks, Ruis said.
By Medaglia d’Oro, Bolt d’Oro has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $576,000. He won consecutive Grade 1 races in the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 4 and the FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 3 before finishing third to Good Magic as the 7-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4.
Union Strike, who won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2016 for Ruis and his wife, Wendy, will have her 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s La Canada Stakes. Ruis had considered running her in Monday’s Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf. Both races are for fillies and mares.
Union Strike has won 2 of 7 starts and earned $332,160. By Union Rags, Union Strike has not raced since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park last June. Last May, Union Strike was second by a head in the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Mended tries to make grade
A year after being claimed for the price of a used car, Mended is unbeaten in 10 starts and set for her graded stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita.
Mended won the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes on Dec. 2 at Gulfstream Park in her stakes debut to end a season in which she earned $185,900 for owners Troy and Maritza Onorato of Daly City, Calif.
The Onoratos and trainer John Martin claimed Mended out of a fourth-place finish for $12,500 on Jan. 6, 2016, at Golden Gate Fields. Troy Onorato suggested the claim, Martin said Wednesday.
Mended, 5, has not lost since. The winning streak comprises four claiming races, three optional claimers, two starter allowance races, and the Glass Slipper Stakes. During that span, Mended won seven times at Golden Gate Fields and once at Del Mar, Pleasanton, and Gulfstream Park.
The $200,000 La Canada Stakes, at one mile for fillies and mares, will be Mended’s toughest test yet, Martin said.
“I know it’s not easy,” Martin said.
“You need to step and run against better horses. I don’t know good she is. She’s been running good, but the competition has been lesser.”
By Broken Vow, Mended has won 13 of 26 starts and earned $231,690. Martin is her fourth trainer. She was previously with Mike Puype, Keith Desormeaux, and Matthew Troy, all of whom lost her via claim.
Mended has been on the pace in all her races since the claim, including in her 3 1/4-length win in an optional claimer at Del Mar in July. But Martin said she doesn’t have to be in front.
Among Mended’s main competition in the La Canada will be Majestic Heat, the comfortable winner of the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 3.
“I saw two or three horses that are tough,” Martin said.