Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Bolt d’Oro turns it on late
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro’s workout Monday morning at Santa Anita, his main piece of work prior to his 3-yearold debut 12 days hence in the San Felipe Stakes, was a microcosm of his preparation this winter. He started off behind and finished well.
Bolt d’Oro missed some training time earlier this meet, which caused him to skip an intended comeback race in the San Vicente. His work Monday was a demanding six-furlong move from the gate, with a gallop-out to a mile. He just needed an extra moment to get started.
When the gate opened, Bolt d’Oro came out about two lengths behind his less-accomplished stablemate Eskimo Roses. He got into gear quickly, though, then polished off his workmate through the lane before being asked to go out well past the wire under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who was in town for the drill and got aboard Bolt d’Oro for the first time.
Castellano said that after loading in the gate and waiting for it to open, and waiting, Bolt d’Oro “kind of fell asleep a little bit.”
“But after crossing the chute, he jumped right in the bridle,” Castellano said. “The whole purpose today was not to go head and head. Get some dirt. Relax. I like the way he did it. At the three-eighths pole, he could have gone by, but I wanted to take my time. Be patient. In the stretch, he switched leads and leveled off.”
Bolt d’Oro was given an official time of 1:12, the best time of eight at the distance Monday. Gary Young, the well-respected private clocker, had Bolt d’Oro going out seven furlongs in 1:25.20 and up a mile in 1:40.40.
“I asked him a little bit near the wire, and he got back in the bridle and kept going,” Castellano said.
Mick Ruis, who owns and trains Bolt d’Oro, said Bolt d’Oro would have one more work, an easy half-mile Sunday.
“It’s going to be tough going in off workouts, but if anyone can do it he can,” Ruis said. “Every work has moved him up.”
Bolt d’Oro is expected to face the likes of McKinzie or possibly Solomini in the San Felipe on March 10.
Justify beats the rain
Justify, who earned a brilliant Beyer Speed Figure of 104 with his runaway debut win Feb. 18, came back to work Monday, two days earlier than originally planned, owing to a forecast for rain in upcoming days. He went an effortless five furlongs in 1:01.40 under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, who rode him to his win.
Many options are open for Justify for his next race, including the Sunland Derby on March 25, trainer Bob Baffert said.
Pair of champions work
The 2017 champions Unique Bella and West Coast worked at Santa Anita on Sunday in advance of major stakes in March in California and Dubai.
Unique Bella, the champion female sprinter last year, worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, the fastest of 103 works at the distance. Unique Bella will be a heavy favorite to win her third race of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational at 1 1/8 miles on March 17.
The $400,000 Santa Margarita is the leading race for older females at the winter-spring meeting and will be the longest race of Unique Bella’s career. Earlier at this meeting, Unique Bella won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on Dec. 26 and the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 10 in her last start.
Owned by Don Alberto Stable and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Unique Bella has won 7 of 9 starts and earned $712,400.
West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male of 2017, worked a half-mile in 47.60 for a scheduled start in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 31.
“I wish the race was next week,” trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday morning. “He’s doing very well.”
West Coast was second to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 in his only start this year.
Owned by Gary and Mary West, West Coast has won 6 of 10 starts and earned $3,683,800. He won four consecutive stakes last year, including the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga, before finishing third to Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last November.
◗ Kanthaka, winner of the San Vicente Stakes here in his last start, will have Dylan Davis aboard for the Gotham Stakes on March 10 at Aqueduct, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Monday. Flavien Prat, who rode Kanthaka in the San Vicente, is committed to be at Santa Anita that day. Kanthaka worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 here Sunday.
◗ Greyvitos, who had to have a chip removed from a knee shortly after winning the Springboard Mile on Dec. 17 at Remington, had his first work on the comeback trail Monday, going three furlongs in 37.20 at Del Mar for trainer Adam Kitchingman.