Bolt d’Oro gets what he needs

ARCADIA, Calif. – With slight urging in the stretch, Bolt d’Oro worked seven furlongs in 1:24.20 on Sunday at Santa Anita, his second-to-last major exercise before the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Second in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7, Bolt d’Oro worked alone Sunday under jockey Victor Espinoza, who will ride the colt for the first time in the Kentucky Derby.

Espinoza guided Bolt d’Oro to a quick start in the workout, including a first half-mile in 46.60 seconds. Bolt d’Oro ran five furlongs in 58.40. Espinoza tapped Bolt d’Oro a few times with an underhand motion in the stretch before finishing the workout on the clubhouse turn.

“I think it’s a good work,” Espinoza said.

“When he works alone, he’s not as excellent, but he’s good enough. He got the air that he needed.”

Owner and trainer Mick Ruis said Bolt d’Oro works too fast with a stablemate.

“I didn’t want to go in 1:22,” he said. “He ran two weeks ago. He’ll be a little lazy working on his own.”

Ruis said Bolt d’Oro will have his final pre-Derby workout on Saturday at Santa Anita before being flown to Kentucky on April 30.

Bolt d’Oro has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $1,016,000 to rise to the fore of the nation’s 3-yearold division. Last September, Bolt d’Oro won consecutive Grade 1 stakes in the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs and the FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles before finishing third as the 7-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November.

In his first start of 2018, Bolt d’Oro finished second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 10, losing by a head to McKinzie. Bolt d’Oro was awarded the win via disqualification after McKinzie was ruled to have interfered with Bolt d’Oro when the two bumped near the finish.

In the Santa Anita Derby, Bolt d’Oro was beaten three lengths by Justify, another leading contender for the Kentucky Derby.

Midnight Bisou looking ‘scary’

The brilliant 3-year-old filly Midnight Bisou is nearing the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs in a manner that leaves her 78-year-old trainer, Bill Spawr, in awe.

Spawr spoke glowingly of Midnight Bisou’s current condition Sunday morning, a few hours after the filly worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 at Santa Anita before dawn.

“She’s getting better,” Spawr said. “She’s scary. Her body weight is right. She’s confident in the way she acts.”

Santa Anita clockers timed Midnight Bisou in 38 seconds for the first three furlongs and 23.60 for the final quarter-mile. Spawr timed the final quartermile in 23.40 and six furlongs in “1:13 and change.”

Midnight Bisou is unbeaten in three starts this year, all stakes, including a convincing win by 3 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 7. The Kentucky Oaks is run at 1 1/8 miles.

Owned by Allen Racing and Bloom Racing Stable, Midnight Bisou has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $450,000. She was second by a nose in two races last year, losing a maiden race and the minor Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar to Dream Tree, the subsequent winner of the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Dream Tree is currently sidelined and will not start in the Kentucky Oaks.

Also on Sunday, Paradise Woods, a two-time Grade 1 winner last year, breezed a half-mile in 47 seconds. Paradise Woods was fourth as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes on March 24 in her first start this year. She was given a brief rest in the weeks that followed before rejoining trainer Richard Mandella’s stable.

Mandella said Sunday that Paradise Woods remains on schedule for the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares on June 2, but he has not ruled out the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes on May 6.

“There is a little thought about the other race,” he said, referring to the $100,000 Adoration Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. “I think I might take my time.”

Owned by Steve Sarkowsky and Marty and Pam Wygod, Paradise Woods has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $725,545. She won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes last year and was later third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar last November.