Allaboutaction heads strong local contingent in California Derby
A deep field with five talented local runners and three Southern California invaders will get the 3-year-old stakes season off to a good start at Golden Gate Fields in Saturday’s $100,000 California Derby. The 1 1/16-mile race is the local prep for the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 13.
In the past, Southern California invaders would get top billing, and the Doug O’Neill-trained Frank Conversation does have a graded-stakes placing. Go Long set the pace in the Grade 1 FrontRunner, won by likely Eclipse Award winner Nyquist. Canada, a $500,000 yearling purchase by Giant’s Causeway, has shown improvement in five starts, all on turf.
However, the local runners have solid credentials and look tough on paper.
The highly regarded Allaboutaction was always “well thought of,” according to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. He won his debut by nine lengths but fizzled when he finished fourth at 3-5 in the one-mile Gold Rush in his second start Dec. 5. He acted up in the paddock and was rank early, but Hollendorfer and his wife, Janet, worked hard in the morning and got him to settle down as he won a one-mile optional-claiming race three weeks later.
“He stalked but was more relaxed,” Hollendorfer said of the solid win.
In his wake that day were Marqula, who had run third in the Gold Rush, and Gold Rush runner-up Algenon, who has hit the board in all seven of his starts, including four stakes.
Gold Rush winner Mana Strike, whose closing kick pulled him clear, has trained up to Saturday’s race.
“It was a pretty good pace, but I was impressed how he finished,” said trainer Frank Lucarelli. “He’s got that style. He’s a big horse and doesn’t want to be pushed early. He’s never had a bad day or a glitch in his training.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Allaboutaction (Last 3 Beyers: 78-64-74)
This highly regarded runner has a high cruising speed. If he relaxes like he did last time, he’ll be hard to get past in the lane.
Mana Strike (Last 3 Beyers: 77-58-68)
He’s undefeated here, and his lone loss came down south to the undefeated Smokey Image, a multiple stakes winner in Northern California. He’ll be sitting back early and might need a bit of racing luck, but his closing kick in the Gold Rush was powerful.
He’s a Tiger (Beyers: 70-37)
◗ The stablemate of the talented Marqula, he is undefeated in two starts. He will be stretching out for the first time, but the breeding suggests that that should be no problem. He should at least be in good stalking position, and he made a strong move in winning his comeback six weeks ago.