Geaux Rocket Ride will be blasting off at Santa Anita

Geaux Rocket Ride will be among the least experienced entrants in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 8, but the two-start colt could inherit the most important role – he is the likely pacesetter.

Runner-up in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, Geaux Rocket Ride is the only true front-runner among six known possibles for the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby. Nominations close March 30 and early possibles include Geaux Rocket Ride, Practical Move, Skinner, I Don’t Get It, Mandarin Hero, and Dazzlemesilver.

Richard Mandella trains Geaux Rocket Ride, whose initial workout following the San Felipe was a half-mile on March 18 at Santa Anita. Although the first workout after a race is typically a solo move, Mandella worked Geaux Rocket Ride in company.

“He’s only run twice. He needs experience,” Mandella said, explaining why the colt worked with maiden filly Mizztify Doll. Geaux Rocket Ride broke off behind Mizztify Doll, who was kept off the rail. Geaux Rocket Ride rallied inside his workmate, ran away late, and was given a half-mile workout time of 49.20.

“Very nice,” Mandella said, adding Geaux Rocket Ride “is coming along good for the race.”

The Santa Anita Derby pace scenario is favorable; the list of probable starters is otherwise void of speed. Geaux Rocket Ride pressed Hejazi in the San Felipe, but Hejazi is not expected in the Santa Anita Derby. Geaux Rocket Ride could be loose on the lead. When he won his debut racing six furlongs on Jan. 29, Geaux Rocket Ride sped the opening half-mile in 44.62.

As for Geaux Rocket Ride’s lack of seasoning, it is a nonissue. Each of the last five Santa Anita Derby winners had previously started three times or fewer. Taiba in 2022 raced once previously; Rock Your World in 2021 had two starts; Honor A. P. in 2020 and Roadster in 2019 each had three starts; Justify in 2018 had started twice.

West coast workers

San Felipe winner Practical Move worked a solo half-mile March 18, his first work following his decisive victory March 4. Practical Move was timed in 47.60. Skinner, third in the San Felipe, already has worked twice since – a half-mile March 13 in 50.20, and five-eighths March 19 in 1:01.60.

I Don’t Get It won a maiden race March 11; his widetrip victory under confident handling was visually better than the three-quarter-length margin. Dazzlemesilver, a twostart maiden who finished third to I Don’t Get It, is possible for the Santa Anita Derby. “We’ll consider it if he breezes well this weekend,” trainer Keith Desormeaux said early this week.

Mandarin Hero likes the chase

Japan-based Mandarin Hero is the only known shipper for the Santa Anita Derby. His trainer, Terunobu Fujita, provided insight into the colt’s late-running style in a recent visit to California. Fujita told Santa Anita publicity that Mandarin Hero “has really good acceleration in the final stretch.”

“I think he probably cannot handle the early pace, but he really likes to chase down other horses,” he said.

Mandarin Hero won all four starts as a 2-year-old. He finished second in his only start at age 3, racing 1 1/8 miles Feb. 23. All five starts by Mandarin Hero were at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo. The colt is scheduled to ship March 29, and arrive at Santa Anita on March 31 after

he clears quarantine. Fujita, 2022 leading trainer at Oi, told Santa Anita publicity he would name a California rider for Mandarin Hero. The son of Shanghai Bobby is the only horse Fujita nominated to the Triple Crown.

–Brad Free

Wood is Hit Show’s rehearsal

Hit Show, the Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner, will return to New York for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 8 at Aqueduct, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Wednesday.

In the days after he won the Withers, Hit Show shipped to Fair Grounds to train while Cox and owner Gary West were contemplating whether to run back in the Wood or perhaps go to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby on April 1 at Oaklawn Park, where the horse won an allowance race in February.

“We feel like the race in New York might be a little more in his favor as opposed to Arkansas,” Cox said. “He ran really well there, and he’s doing really well now. I’m excited about running him.”

Manny Franco, aboard for the Withers victory, rides Hit Show back in the Wood.

Cox will also run Slip Mahoney, the Grade 3 Gotham runner-up, in the Wood. Cox said that Dylan Davis, aboard for Slip Mahoney’s first three starts including a maiden victory in January, would be on that horse for the Wood. Trevor McCarthy rode Slip Mahoney in the Gotham.

Cox said if the decision is made to scratch Tapit’s Conquest for Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, the Wood is likely Plan B. Tapit’s Conquest finished fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star in his most recent start.

“If we don’t run Saturday, we’ll turn our attention to the Wood,” Cox said.

Blazing Sevens to Blue Grass

Blazing Sevens, the Grade 1 Champagne winner who finished eighth in his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 4, has been re-routed from the Wood Memorial to the Blue Grass for his next start, trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday.

Brown, via text, indicated the ability to get Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride Blazing Sevens in the Blue Grass was one reason for the change. It was unclear who would have ridden him in the Wood.

“Also, I like being in Kentucky already if he qualifies for the Derby, less overall shipping,” Brown wrote.

Brown also wrote that Blazing Sevens will be equipped with blinkers for the Blue Grass. Blazing Sevens is training at Payson Park in Florida.

Since 2016, Brown has started five horses in the Blue Grass, winning the race with Zandon (2022) and Good Magic (2018) and finishing second with Highly Motivated (2021), Practical Joke (2017), and My Man Sam (2016)

–David Grening

Henry Q tops Sunland Derby

Henry Q will face Southern California shippers Fort Bragg and Hard to Figure on Sunday in the Grade 3, $600,000 Sunland Park Derby.

The 1 1/8-mile race offers Kentucky Derby points to its first five finishers on a scale of 50-20-15-10-5.

Henry Q, who was previously based in Southern California, could go favored when he breaks from post 4 in the seven-horse Sunland Derby. He won the local prep, the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby, by 14 3/4 lengths on Feb. 28. Edwin Maldonado was aboard for The Del Mar Group and trainer Todd Fincher and again has the mount Sunday.

Fort Bragg will start from post 3 under Juan Hernandez. He started his 3-year-old season March 4 with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita.

Hard to Figure will break from post 6 under Flavien Prat. He was second by a neck in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis in his most recent start Feb. 4 at Santa Anita. He is trained by Bob Baffert and therefore ineligible to earn points for the Kentucky Derby.

Henry Q is one of three entrants who are not nominated to the Triple Crown; the others are How Did He Do That and Wild On Ice. The period for late nominees is open online until Monday. The cost to make a late nomination to the Triple Crown is $6,000.

One in Vermillion will be looking for his fourth straight stakes win when he makes his graded debut in the Sunland Derby. He will break from post 5 under Harry Hernandez.

The complete field from the rail with riders is: How Did He Do That, Alfredo Juarez, Jr.; Low Expectations, Mario Gutierrez; Fort Bragg, Hernandez; Henry Q, Maldonado; One in Vermillion, H. Hernandez; Hard to Figure, Prat; Wild On Ice, Ken Tohill.

The Sunland Derby goes as the 10th race, with an approximate post time of 4:45 p.m. Mountain. It’s being showcased on a card of seven stakes. The forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 70 degrees, according to AccuWeather.

–Mary Rampellini

Bigger break between preps

Trainer Ben Colebrook and owners Andrew and Rania Warren will have a little more breathing room between races when their colts Scoobie Quando and Raise Cain run in a pair of major Kentucky Derby points races in the coming weeks.

Colebrook will saddle Scoobie Quando in Saturday’s Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby at Turfway Park, with Raise Cain likely to carry the same owners’ colors two weeks later in the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland. Both races offer Derby points on the 100-40-30-20-10 scale.

Both Warren colts made their most recent start on March 4, with Raise Cain winning the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct. Colebook saddled the colt, then watched the race, which was off at 5:01 p.m., from an Uber en route to the airport. He was at Turfway in time to saddle Scoobie Quando for the John Battaglia Memorial at 9:29 p.m., with the colt finishing second.

“It’s been exciting because not a lot of owners have two good 3-year-olds at the same time,” Colebrook said. “Raise Cain was the owners’ first graded stakes winner and Scoobie was the first stakes winner. There’s a lot to look forward to.”

There could be a lot to look forward to, in particular, with Scoobie Quando, who is still very lightly raced with only three starts. The Uncle Mo colt is out of the graded stakeswinning turf mare Daveron, making him a half-brother to millionaire March to the Arch and Canadian champion Global Access. The colt was a $160,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by the Warrens, who have campaigned horses in their name since 2020. Colebrook credits trainer and former veterinarian Gregory Fox for some of the success.

“He’s actually how I got together with the owners,” Colebrook said. “He helps select the horses and he’s at the barn a lot.”

Scoobie Quando was a sprint stakes winner in his debut, winning the Turfway Prevue on Jan. 7. He stretched out to a mile for an allowance-level event on Feb. 11, finishing second to Ruby foe Wadsworth. In the 1 1/16-mile Battaglia Memorial, the colt emerged from traffic to finish with good energy, second by 2 1/2 lengths to Congruent. A shot at the Ruby, and a potential dirt tilt in the Derby, now loom.

“When I had him on the main track at Keeneland, he worked really well on it,” Colebrook said. “I still think the dirt is within his wheelhouse. But if not, we have synthetic and turf to fall back on.”

–Nicole Russo

BENOIT PHOTO Practical Move worked a half-mile in 47.60 March 18, his first drill since the San Felipe Stakes.