Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
River Boyne imposing favorite
ARCADIA, Calif. – There is no place like home for River Boyne, the 3-year-old turf miler who will be among the most heavily favored runners on Wednesday’s opening-day card at Santa Anita.
“He loves this place,” trainer Jeff Mullins said.
Who doesn’t? River Boyne, 5 for 5 at Santa Anita, enters the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile (race 7) fresh off the best race of his career, a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.
Bettors inclined to wager against River Boyne, the most probable winner on the card, could opt for first-time turf Shivermetimbers, course specialist Desert Stone, comebacking import Sejo, or Florida shippers Gidu and Gemonteer.
Eleven were entered in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers, a one-mile turf race for 3-yearolds that recently has been easy to predict: Favorites have won six of the last 10. The trend should continue because River Boyne enters with no apparent vulnerabilities. Santa Anita linemaker Jon White opened River Boyne at 8-5.
“He’s very tactical, and he’s got an amazing turn of foot,” Mullins said. “He’s a tough competitor; he wants to do it.”
River Boyne almost did it last out at Del Mar. He and jockey Flavien Prat opened up by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Hollywood Derby, which is one furlong beyond his preferred distance. According to Mullins, it was not the trip that got him beat.
“He got beat by the only other rider that’s ridden him,” Mullins said. He was referring to Joel Rosario, who rode River Boyne to a stakes victory in March and was on Raging Bull in the Hollywood Derby.
“[Rosario] knew what was in front of him,” Mullins said. “He got wound up early. At the three-eighths pole, he started going.”
Rosario and Raging Bull ran past River Boyne, who finished nearly three lengths clear of third. Both visually and on speed figures the runner-up finish by River Boyne was the best race of his career.
In the Mathis Brothers, River Boyne will drop in class, return to his preferred one-mile distance, and race over a course on which he has never lost. River Boyne is rock solid at a short price. Perhaps the question is, who completes the exacta?
Desert Stone, eighth in the Hollywood Derby, benefits from a course change and a rider change to Geovanni Franco.
“He’s a weird horse,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “He only runs good for Franco, and he only runs good here at Santa Anita. Maybe somebody stubs their toe and we get the money.”
Shivermetimbers is a secondlevel allowance winner who has raced exclusively on dirt, but trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, assistant Dan Ward, and jockey Mike Smith are optimistic he will handle the change based on a turf work last month at Del Mar. There are no turf works at Santa Anita.
“He worked like a monster on turf,” Ward said. “We took him down there so we could work him, and Mike gave us a thumbs-up.”
Sejo is a European import making his U.S. debut for trainer John Sadler. “He looks like a mileand-a-quarter horse,” Sadler said. “It looks like he wants farther. I want to get him started.”
The others entered are Choo Choo, Hardboot, Combatant, Fight On, and likely pacesetter Snazzy Dresser.
KEY CONTENDERS
River Boyne, by Dandy Man Last 3 Beyers: 96-92-89
◗ Winless when he was imported from Europe by Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal, River Boyne won a maiden race on opening day of the 2017-18 Santa Anita winter meet.
◗ He has won six of his last nine starts, including four stakes.
Sejo, by Nathaniel Last 3 Beyers: NA-NA-NA
◗ He was purchased privately by Hronis Racing after winning races at Longchamp at 1 3/16 miles and 1 5/16 miles.
◗ Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Sejo, who should improve next out, perhaps in the Grade 2, 1 1/4-mile San Marcos Stakes on Feb. 2.
Shivermetimbers, by Shanghai Bobby Last 3 Beyers: 89-91-83
◗ He was considered a Derby candidate early this year before his progress stalled. He gradually improved this fall and should get a forwardly placed trip.
◗ Last time out, Shivermetimbers won a second-level allowance route on dirt against older.
Desert Stone, by Fastnet Rock Last 3 Beyers: 86-91-83
◗ A deep closer, he finished third by a half-length to River Boyne in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby two starts back at Santa Anita. His two wins were on the Santa Anita turf.
Combatant, by Scat Daddy Last 3 Beyers: 91-85-81
◗ He finished third last out in the Zia Park Derby, a dirt race that produced 2014 Mathis Brothers upset winner Alert Bay. Combatant finished off the board in three previous starts on turf.
◗ Steve Asmussen trains; Jose Ortiz rides.