Golden Gate: El Camino Real runner-up headed to Dubai

Vassar Photography

Lucky Chappy (6) is edged by Daddy Nose Best in the El Camino Real.

Plans are undecided for El Camino Real Derby winner Daddy Nose Best, but runner-up Lucky Chappy will run next in the $2 million UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup card in Dubai.

One of the primary reasons trainer Graham Motion sent Lucky Chappy to Golden Gate Fields to run last Saturday in the Grade 3 El Camino Real was to get him a race over a Tapeta synthetic surface. That is the same surface used at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

Bob Zollars owns Daddy Nose Best with his wife, Cathy, and he said the colt would probably run next on dirt, but no decision has been made.

Daddy Nose Best came out of the race in good shape, said trainer Asmussen’s assistant Darren Fleming, who saddled the colt.

So did Lucky Chappy, although his connections were still smarting from the nose loss.

“It was obviously a tough beat,” Motion’s stable manager, John Panagot, said. “We’re very happy with him. Plus, we got to give him a race on Tapeta.”

Daddy Nose Best and Lucky Chappy finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Handsome Mike, who wound up the 2.40-1 favorite. All three shipped into Golden Gate Fields for the 1 1/8-mile race, Daddy Nose Best and Handsome Mike from Southern California and Lucky Chappy from Florida.

Daddy Nose Best and jockey Julien Leparoux won the race at the quarter pole. Lucky Chappy, ridden by Alan Garcia, circled the field from last on the turn and was flying. Daddy Nose Best and Leparoux, meanwhile, were trapped behind the pacesetters and boxed in by the filly Lady of Fifty, who had Russell Baze aboard.

“When Russell began asking his filly at the three-eighths pole, I went a little bit and found a spot to get out,” said Leparoux.

Had Leparoux waited two or three more strides, he might never have caught Lucky Chappy with the momentum Lucky Chappy had built up.

Handsome Mike had his chances compromised by having to duel on the lead with 94-1 longshot All Squared Away through the opening six furlongs.

The victory by Daddy Nose Best was Asmussen’s second straight El Camino Real victory, following Silver Medallion’s 2011 win.

Local runners came in fourth, fifth and sixth.

Unveiled Heat took fourth. Trainer Steve Specht said he could be pointed to the $75,000 Alcatraz, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, on May 12, followed by the $50,000 Silky Sullivan a one-mile turf race for California-breds, June 9.

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained duo of Russian Greek and Lady of Fifty finished fifth and sixth.

Russian Greek led only Lucky Chappy through the opening half-mile and couldn’t match strides with him.

“My horse closed the gap, but not on the same terms as the first two,” said Russian Greek’s rider, Aaron Gryder.

Baze called Lady of Fifty “unusually dull during the race.”

“Both came back okay,” said Hollendorfer. “I don’t have plans for either.”