Stronghold gives D’Amato first Kentucky Derby starter

ARCADIA, Calif. – Unbeaten in two starts in the West in 2024, Stronghold, winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, will be rated as a longshot when he starts in the Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

That’s cool with trainer Phil D’Amato.

“I don’t mind going in under the radar,” D’Amato said.

Much of the build-up, and a good portion of the betting, for the Kentucky Derby will focus on brilliant runners such as Fierceness, winner of the Florida Derby on March 30 at Gulfstream Park; Sierra Leone, who won Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland; and Forever Young, the Japanesebased runner who won the United Arab Emirates Derby on March 30 in Dubai.

“They are nice, accomplished horses,” D’Amato said. “I have faith in my horse. I’ll focus on him.”

What D’Amato has in Stronghold is a colt who has shown the ability to dispute the pace, as he did in a comfortable victory in the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico on Feb. 18 in his 3-year-old debut, or close from slightly off the pace, as he did in the $751,500 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

Stronghold, owned and bred by Rick and Sharon Waller of Murrietta, Calif., needed minimal recovery time late Saturday afternoon.

“It was like it was no big deal,” D’Amato said. “He ate up everything.”

D’Amato, a perennial leader in the trainer standings in Southern California, will have his first Kentucky Derby runner with Stronghold. On Sunday, D’Amato, 47, said Stronghold is likely to spend the next two weeks at Santa Anita before being sent to Churchill Downs. The weather forecast will play a role in the shipping date.

“I think it’s more about not having any interruptions to his training, that’s the most important thing,” D’Amato said.

Stronghold had two starts for D’Amato in Kentucky last year, including a win in a seven-furlong maiden race at Churchill Downs. Since he was sent to California last fall, Stronghold has been ridden by Antonio Fresu.

On Saturday, Fresu won his first Grade 1 in the United States in the Santa Anita Derby. Fresu, 32, rode in Dubai in early 2023 before relocating to Southern California last April.

On Kentucky Derby Day last year, Fresu was in his second week of riding in California and rode a winner at Santa Anita. Nearly a year later, he is making plans for a first-ever trip to ride in Kentucky.

“I dreamed to be there,” said Fresu, a native of Italy. “It’s come true.

“It will be a different game – 20 horses and a lot of speed. I’m confident in Phil and the horse, and that puts you in a better situation.”

Fresu was speaking outside of D’Amato’s stable on Sunday morning, waiting to ride a workout. In four races aboard Stronghold, Fresu has watched the horse finish second twice last fall – losing by 8 3/4 lengths to the outstanding Nysos in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar last November, and second by a half-length to Wynstock in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles.

Nysos, who is unbeaten in three starts, is currently sidelined with an unclear time line on when he will return to racing. Wynstock finished sixth of eight in the Santa Anita Derby.

Fresu has worked Stronghold several times in recent months, and noted that the colt has shown development on a regular basis.

“He’s by Ghostzapper. They get better with age,” Fresu said. “He’s maturing so much day to day. I love the way Phil has been training him, especially the last few weeks. I think he’s getting so much confidence.”

In the Santa Anita Derby, Stronghold closed from fourth. He fought his way between rivals in early stretch before edging Imagination, the evenmoney favorite. Stronghold paid $6.40 as the second choice and won by a neck.

“He was good out of the gate,” Fresu said. “He relaxed, chased the leaders. He engaged, split rivals, and got up. He showed he can do it.”

All of that translates into a trip to Kentucky at a time when Stronghold appears to be at his best. Whether that leaves him in contention in the Kentucky Derby may not be known until the field reaches the final three furlongs.

“He has the maturity and the ability to move when he needs,” D’Amato said.

“I think he’s on the improve. Two turns are to his liking, and I think the farther, the better. He does enough to win and wants to win.”

BENOIT PHOTO Stronghold followed his Sunland Park Derby score with this win Saturday in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.