Win has Conversation in Derby talk
Frank Conversation put himself squarely in the Kentucky Derby conversation by winning the Grade 3, $200,840 El Camino Real Derby on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
His human connections — trainer Doug O’Neill, jockey Mario Gutierrez and owner J. Paul Reddam — know something about the Run for the Roses, having won it with I’ll Have Another in 2012.
The question is whether Frank Conversation can be as effective on dirt — the surface at Churchill Downs — as he has been on the Tapeta Footings synthetic track at Golden Gate and on grass. The Santa Anita-based colt previously won the California Derby at GGF and had a win and a third on grass.
“It does look like synthetic or turf is his thing, but we’ll definitely try a big race on dirt soon,” O’Neill said. “That was a big-time performance today.”
Frank Conversation has raced twice on dirt, finishing next to last in his debut and fifth after setting the pace in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity.
“His race at Los Al wasn’t that bad,” O’Neill said. “Obviously, his style is to sit and pounce, but speed was doing well that day, and we told Mario to go for the lead.”
Frank Conversation had only five opponents in the 11⁄ 16- mile California Derby, and he pounced from third place to win by 2½ lengths. He had 12 foes in the 11⁄ 8- mile El Camino Real Derby after the scratch of Mr. Coker, and he pounced from sixth place to open a 1½-length lead in midstretch before hitting the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Tusk.
“It was a lot of horses, so I wouldn’t say we were worried, but we definitely wanted to get the perfect position right away coming out of the gate,” Gutierrez said. “The horses went to the lead, and I was able to just lay down behind the speed like last time. The competition was a little bit harder today, but he definitely kicked on and he never hesitated to keep pushing until the wire.”
Kelly With a Twist, a 39-to-1 shot, set a good pace, followed closely by 64-to-1 shot Touched by Autism, who was trying to duplicate Autism Awareness’ upset win in the 2008 El Camino Real Derby for owner Johnny Taboada. Those two faded at the top of the stretch as Frank Conversation made his winning move.
The 8-to-5 favorite, Frank Conversation finished in 1:50.64 and earned $120,000 — the same as his purchase price — to increase his total to $230,450. He also earned 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.
“The buildup is almost as exciting as the actual event,” O’Neill said. “When you have a good horse and you keep him injury-free and watch him train every day, there’s no better feeling.”
Of course, O’Neill, Gutierrez and Reddam are enjoying double the pleasure because they also have Nyquist, the undefeated 2-year-old champion who will make his 3-year-old debut in the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita on Monday.
Reddam said he came up with the name Frank Conversation because “we were having a group meeting with a frank conversation about some of our horses. Now the question is if he’ll transfer his form to dirt.”