Bolt d'Oro declared San Felipe winner after McKinzie DQ

ARCADIA, Calif. – McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro delivered on the hype Saturday at Santa Anita, where they produced one of the most thrilling Derby preps of 2018.

Who won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes? That depends on whom you ask. McKinzie finished a head in front of Bolt d’Oro, but after an 11-minute inquiry, stewards disqualified McKinzie for interference in deep stretch and awarded Bolt d’Oro the victory.

McKinzie was placed second, a decision that did not sit well with trainer Bob Baffert. “I am shocked,” he said. “After the way [Bolt d’Oro] hit us at the top of the stretch. I don’t know what they were looking at.”

Baffert was referring to contact between the two colts at the top of the lane, an incident for which stewards could not assign blame.

Steward Scott Chaney explained, “We ultimately felt the video was inconclusive regarding the incident at the quarter pole,” he said. “There wasn’t any difficulty determining who was at fault for the second incident.”

McKinzie, the even-money favorite, and Bolt d’Oro, second choice, hooked up at the top of the stretch, and raced head and head to the wire. In deep stretch, McKinzie drifted out under left-handed whipping by jockey Mike Smith and made contact with Bolt d’Oro.

Whether one agrees with the stewards' unanimous decision or not, this much is certain – McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro have provided stability to the 3-year-old division.

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McKinzie was making his second start of the year; Bolt d’Oro had not raced since a wide-trip third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile four months ago. He was giving up a current-condition edge, and perhaps a tactical edge rallying from off the pace.

McKinzie broke running and pressed the pace set by Lombo. Bolt d’Oro broke well and found a comfortable position fourth on the rail. Near the quarter pole, jockey Javier Castellano angled Bolt d’Oro outside. For a brief instant, it looked like Bolt d’Oro might roll right past McKinzie.

But jockey Mike Smith had saved something with McKinzie, who fought back when challenged. After brief contact at the head of the lane, the two raced head and head to the wire, with McKinzie hitting the wire in 1:42.71 for 1 1/16 miles. McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro both earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bolt d’Oro finished 6 1/2 lengths clear of Kanthaka in third. The order was completed by Peace, Ayacara, Aquila, and Lombo.

Baffert and Bolt d’Oro’s owner-trainer Mick Ruis agreed on one thing. McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro are at the head of the local class.

“I knew they were going to separate themselves,” Baffert said. “I had respect for [Bolt d’Oro] going in. [McKinzie] was ready for it. He was not going to let that horse get by. He did that at Los Alamitos.”

McKinzie crossed the wire second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in December, but was placed first after Solomini was disqualified.

The effort by Bolt d’Oro was particularly impressive considering his four-month layoff and a mid-winter setback that precluded him from running in his scheduled comeback in February.

“What he did, from where he was nine weeks ago, was phenomenal,” Ruis said. “He was 80 percent ready for this race; we wanted a good race. I think we got it. I don’t think the fans and everybody else could have had a better finish from the two horses they thought were going to run like they expected.”

Bolt d’Oro was visibly weary after the winner’s circle ceremony. Ruis, asked if the comeback was perhaps overly taxing, said he is not concerned.

“I don’t think we’re going to regress, because I did not have him all the way cranked up,” Ruis said. “I think he’s going to come really good out of this race.”

Bolt d’Oro will run next in the Santa Anita Derby on April 7; McKinzie also is expected for that race. Bolt d’Oro, second choice in the betting, returned $4.40.