Bolt d'Oro confirms he's horse to beat in BC Juvenile
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARCADIA, Calif. – With two Grade 1 victories, one around two turns and another at the track where the Breeders’ Cup will be held in 4 1/2 weeks, Bolt d’Oro has firmly established himself as the horse to beat in the Juvenile on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
He put himself in this position with his powerful victory in the FrontRunner Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.
Bolt d’Oro won the 1 1/16-mile race by 7 3/4 lengths over Solomini. He received a Beyer Speed Figure of 100 while turning in a raw time for the distance that was faster by .80 of a second than that of Paradise Woods in the Zenyatta and by 2.78 seconds than that of Moonshine Memories in the Chandelier.
The bandwagon is filling up. The winner’s circle was packed with family and friends connected to Mick Ruis, who owns and trains Bolt d’Oro, and after the race he told Breeders’ Cup representative Jill Byrne that he’d need more seats for the Breeders’ Cup.
“I think we just got a lot more friends,” Ruis said to Byrne.
Bolt d’Oro has plenty of admirers. Among the happiest on Saturday was B. Wayne Hughes, whose Spendthrift Farm acquired the breeding rights to Bolt d’Oro after a victory last month in the Del Mar Futurity. Hughes was among the large contingent in the winner’s circle.
Ruis said he would take Bolt d’Oro to Del Mar as soon as he can. The stable area reopens Oct. 22, and the main track opens for training on Oct. 23, meaning Bolt d’Oro should have at least his final work for the Juvenile there.
“I want to go a couple weeks early to Del Mar,” Ruis said. “We have to hope he keeps moving forward.”
Bolt d’Oro was purchased as a yearling for $630,000. He has been held in high regard since before he ran.
“When we got him to San Luis Rey Downs they said he just moved fantastic,” Ruis said. “We got him into our barn here in March and everyone that got on him said he was special. He’s still proving everybody right.”
Ruis said Bolt d’Oro would get “a chance to grow up” after the Juvenile before embarking on a 3-year-old campaign whose obvious early goal is the Kentucky Derby.
Corey Nakatani, who rides Bolt d’Oro, has never won the Derby. He briefly retired last year before returning to action.
◗ Drefong, preparing for a title defense in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar, worked a half-mile in 49 seconds on Monday morning at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert.
◗ Finest City worked five furlongs Monday in 1:00.80 for trainer Ian Kruljac as she readies to defend her crown in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
