Hollywood Futurity (G1) winner DECLAN’S MOON (Malibu Moon), who is unbeaten
from four career starts and likely to be named champion two-year-old at Monday’s
Eclipse Awards ceremony, will have his first workout of 2005 on Thursday at
Santa Anita. Trainer Ron Ellis plans on running the dark bay gelding next in the
$200,000 Santa Catalina S. (G2) on March 5.
“He’ll go three-eighths just to let him stretch his legs a little,” Ellis
said.
The Santa Catalina will be held over 1 1/16 miles. Declan’s Moon made his
first start around two turns in the Hollywood Futurity and drew off to a facile
one-length victory, defeating Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Wilko (Awesome
Again) in the process.
Ellis has said that he plans on running Declan’s Moon only twice prior to the
Kentucky Derby (G1) this year, which makes for an unconventional approach to the
Run for the Roses. Only one horse in the last 50 years, Sunny’s Halo in 1983,
has won the Kentucky Derby off only two prep races at three.