The El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Saturday is contentious and the winner will put 10 points in his pocket on his way to possibly starting in the Kentucky Derby.
The Grade 3 nine-furlong fixture will be run on the synthetic surface and the $200,000 test has options for bettors.
This race has not been a great vehicle for horses to go on and win the Kentucky Derby. The last El Camino Real Derby winner to make the gate in the Kentucky Derby was Daddy Nose Best in 2012. Two El Camino Real Derby winners ran second in the Kentucky Derby.
Tabasco Cat did win this race in 1994 and went on to take the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
Back in the day Snow Chief won the El Camino Real Derby for trainer Mel Stute and then eventually parlayed that to success in the Preakness Stakes.
As one would expect, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has owned this race. He has won this race 6 times, the last with Tamarando in 2014. On Saturday Hollendorfer will be looking for another El Camino Real Derby win with Sheer Flattery.
Sheer Flattery was a bit compromised last time when the Robert B. Lewis came up pretty much devoid of speed. He had to settle in dead last but was inching toward the winner late settling for third as the beaten favorite.
Zakaroff has some things to prove in this El Camino Real Derby as he breaks from the rail and has shown limited speed. His only win came in a life and death situation when up by a head going five and a half furlongs.
More Power to Him wanted no part of sprinting in his first two races but he cashed stretching out in his initial route attempt. He set a slow pace in his first try vs. winners and tired and then beat $40,000 optional claimers. In his last race, More Power to Him made a nice move to go from fifth to first but could not carry on with the momentum. This runner has the pedigree to thrive as his sibling Bleach Blonde was stakes placed and earned over $300,000.
Ann Arbor Eddie ships in from Southern California and looks well intentioned. He is trained by Doug O’Neill, who won last year’s El Camino Real Derby with Frank Conversation.
This son of Square Eddie has won the King Glorious and the Cal Cup Derby in his last two races. The same feat was accomplished by California Chrome, who went on to win the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes. The blood is solid too. Ann Arbor Eddie’s dam Repo won two stakes for 2-year-old fillies in 2009, so the quality is there.
The connections of Tribal Storm will be able to change direction in the future no matter what happens Saturday. The sophomore has won on turf, he’s won sprinting in a game manner and he was far from disgraced in his first start in a stakes.
Colonel Samsen commands respect. He is battle tested having raced eight times. He has won a stakes as he took the $75,000 Gold Rush here in the 2016 finale. The Eoin Harty student had a valid excuse in his January debut when he caught the slop in the Sham Stakes.
Those that yearn for the allure of the islands have a vehicle in the El Camino Real Stakes with Kona Dreams. This gelding has some things to prove. He will be making his first start on the synthetic after losing his first four races, all on grass.
The way this race could very well unfold is that Tribal Storm will make the lead. He was in tight in his last race but it was a race he should be able to build on and he did flash :46 and change speed last year.
Ann Arbor Eddie figures to get a solid two-hole trip right behind Tribal Storm. The runner was in the same position in his last two wins so he should be very comfortable in that spot.
If a duel does develop between the two leaders, Sheer Flattery has every right to take control of the situation. He has a work over the surface and seems to be very well intentioned. Sheer Flattery can get all the compliments he can handle in the winner’s circle.
El Camino Real Derby Contentious
