Bolo finds himself in pretty good company

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bolo holds the distinction of being the only horse in this Kentucky Derby field who has yet to win on dirt. Bolo, the winner of the Eddie Logan Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths on the Santa Anita turf in December, has run creditably on dirt, finishing third to Dortmund in both the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby.

“He’s progressed very, very well,” trainer Carla Gaines said. “We got off the grass and onto the dirt, and as you know, he’s faced one of the top choices, I’m imagining, in the Derby. We think the mile and a quarter might help our horse, and supposedly grass horses love this racetrack. My rider said he galloped over it beautifully.”

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If there’s a bright spot for Bolo, it’s that horses with proven turf and synthetic form have successfully transferred those abilities to Churchill Downs to run strongly in recent editions of the Derby.

Barbaro won his first three career starts on turf, including the Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby, prior to winning three graded stakes on dirt, culminating with the 2006 Kentucky Derby. Big Brown also won his career debut on turf before moving to dirt as a 3-year-old and winning the 2008 Derby. Animal Kingdom was trying dirt for the first time when he captured the classic in 2011.

Along the way, there also was Paddy O’Prado, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf who finished third in the 2010 Derby on a sloppy track. Later that year, he was a creditable fifth in a loaded Breeders’ Cup Classic field topped by Blame and Zenyatta at Churchill Downs.

“I know there’s been talk that Bolo may be better on the grass, but he’s a horse that I’m really intrigued with because so many turf horses have done well here at Churchill on Derby Day,” said Mark Toothaker, stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm, which stands Bolo’s sire, Temple City, as well as Paddy O’Prado.

“I don’t think a mile and a quarter is going to be a problem for him. It’s just if he’s good enough.”

Bolo completed his major preparations for the Derby in California and will jog and gallop up to Saturday’s race. Should he handle the dirt on race day, he looks primed to thrive at the classic distance. Sire Temple City won the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on turf, while dam Aspen Mountain is a half-sister to Mining My Own, the dam of 2009 Derby winner Mine That Bird and 2012 third-place finisher Dullahan, a winner of the Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles and two other Grade 1 stakes around two turns.