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Goldencents on course for Santa Anita Derby
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| Trainer Doug O'Neill is pleased with Goldencents after the San Felipe
(Benoit Photos) |
Doug O'Neill reports that dual Grade 3 winner Goldencents
came out of his fourth-place finish in last Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe at
Santa Anita in good
order and it's on to the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 6 and a rematch with San Felipe
runner-up Flashback and new jockey Garrett Gomez.
"He came out great," O'Neill said of Goldencents, who
weakened late to be beaten in fourth by 2 1/4 lengths in the San Felipe. "He looked fantastic.
I've got to do a little better job training him. I will, and we'll be tough in
the Santa Anita Derby."
Goldencents entered the San Felipe off two straight Grade 3 wins in the Delta
Downs Jackpot going 1 1/16 miles and Sham at one mile. The Into Mischief colt
will be stretching out to nine furlongs for the first time in the Santa Anita
Derby.
One rival Goldencents might not have to worry about in the Santa Anita Derby
is Tiz a Minister, who rallied from another county under Gomez
to finish third by a length in the San Felipe. The dark bay son of Ministers
Wild Cat is being considered for the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass over Keeneland's Polytrack
on April 13.
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"He came out of the San Felipe fine, and I haven't worked
him back yet," trainer Paul Aguirre said of his late-running Cal-bred. "I don't have a jockey for him right now if we run in the
Santa Anita Derby, but if we go in the Blue Grass, Gomez would be available to
ride him back."
A less-accomplished O'Neill three-year-old, Mudflats, who
worked six furlongs Thursday in a bullet 1:12 4/5 on Santa Anita's fast main
track, is ticketed for the Grade 3,
$800,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 24. The Tapit gelding was fifth by 2 1/2
lengths when last seen making his California debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente on
February 17.
"He worked great," O'Neill said. "We
were just looking for a good stretch and a good finish and he did just that, so
we're excited. He came out of it good and he flies out next week to New Mexico
with a couple other horses."
Edwin Maldonado rides Mudflats in the Sunland
Park Derby.
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