Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
McKinzie meets Bold d'Oro in San Felipe Stakes
There might be a richer race at Santa Anita on Saturday, and there might be better races to come in the 3-year-old ranks this spring as Kentucky Derby Day nears, but it’s hard to argue that the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes is not the race of the day and the biggest Derby prep run to date, owing to the presence of the colt who has become the leader of the division, and the one who was atop the leaderboard heading into the Breeders’ Cup.
McKinzie, now favored on the Derby future line set by Daily Racing Form national handicapper Mike Watchmaker in the Derby Watch top 20 rankings, and Bolt d’Oro, whose lone loss came in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, are set to face off in the San Felipe, as both try to further their already-strong credentials for the May 5 Derby.
McKinzie has won all three of his starts, including one via disqualification in the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity. He was purposely freshened after his win in the Sham Stakes on Jan. 6 and now begins his final two-race push to the Derby.
“He was training right along,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “He’s grown out a bit. I’m really happy with him.”
Bolt d’Oro is getting a belated start to his 3-year-old season, owing to a minor setback in January that prevented him from running in the San Vicente Stakes last month. He has worked right along since being treated for a muscle pull in his hind end, and though his initial works were not up to his usual standards, he has looked sharper more recently.
His owner and trainer, Mick Ruis, said he “doesn’t really know” what to expect on Saturday from Bolt d’Oro, but said the horse acts like “he’s going to run a huge race.” Bolt d’Oro did run well fresh last year, winning his debut. He followed that up with Grade 1 wins in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner before taking the scenic route when third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“But he’s got to go against McKinzie, and Bob has been drilling the heck out of him,” Ruis said. “He’s not going to give us anything. Whatever he does in this race, I think he’ll be really good for the Santa Anita Derby. It’s a tough race to come back in after 4 1/2 months.”
Both Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie are scheduled to use the San Felipe and then the Santa Anita Derby on April 7 as their route to Churchill Downs, so Saturday’s race could be the start of a terrific rivalry.
The San Felipe, at 1 1/16 miles, is worth 85 points overall – including 50 to the winner – under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the field for the Derby. McKinzie already has 20 points, and Bolt d’Oro has 14.
McKinzie did not make his debut until Oct. 28. After winning that race, he went right into the Los Alamitos Futurity, then four weeks later ran in the Sham. By design, Baffert gave him a break from racing at that point.
“I feel pretty good he’s going to show up,” Baffert said.
Bolt d’Oro often needs time to warm up in the mornings before doing his serious gallops or workouts. As a result, Ruis said he’s going to have Javier Castellano – riding Bolt d’Oro in a race for the first time – “gallop him to the gate” during the post parade.
There is a chance of rain on Saturday, but Ruis is hoping it holds off until after the San Felipe, which goes as race 6 on an 11-race card that begins at noon Pacific.
“I will not run him on a sloppy track,” Ruis said.
Bolt d’Oro, who breaks from post 1, and McKinzie, who drew post 4, carry the top weight of 124 pounds. They have six rivals, including Kanthaka and Lombo, both graded stakes winners at this meet.
Kanthaka closed sharply to win the seven-furlong Grade 2 San Vicente while being ridden by Flavien Prat for the first time. This will be his first try around two turns. He also had been considered for the Gotham, a one-turn mile, on Saturday in New York.
“No. 1, he likes this track. No. 2, we keep Prat,” Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Kanthaka, said while listing all the reasons the San Felipe was chosen. “We run here as opposed to shipping to the East Coast, with all the weather there. He gets to stay home. And we get to learn if he can go two turns and if he belongs on the Derby trail.”
Lombo was a front-running winner of the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis last month. Runnerup Ayacara is also in this race, as is Peace, who was fifth while wearing blinkers for the first time. Those blinkers have been removed for the San Felipe.
The impressive maiden winner Aquila and longshot Calexman round out the field.
Preceding the San Felipe are two Grade 1, $400,000 races – the Triple Bend, featuring Malibu winner City of Light, and the Kilroe Mile, with male turf champion World Approval. Later in the day is the richest race, the $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, with veterans Accelerate, Hoppertunity, and Mubtaahij.