Bolt d'Oro full of energy in final work for Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro reached the finish of a five-furlong workout at Santa Anita on Sunday in 1:01.20. It was then that the talented colt decided the exercise was not complete.

“When he got to the wire, he grabbed the bit like he was coming out of the gate,” trainer Mick Ruis said.

Exercise rider Agapito Delgadillo told Ruis that Bolt d’Oro had ample energy after five furlongs. The promising workout comes just days before Bolt d’Oro starts in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday in a final prep for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5.

Bolt d’Oro had a quick half-mile workout in 47 seconds on March 26 but was not asked for speed on Sunday, Ruis said.

“We didn’t want to go too blazing fast,” he said. “We wanted to get the air into him.”

The $1 million Santa Anita Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles. Bolt d’Oro is the leading contender in a race that changed considerably over the weekend after trainer Bob Baffert said that Grade 1 winner McKinzie will miss the race after suffering a recent setback.

Baffert is expected to have a starter in the Santa Anita Derby, possibly Justify, the sharp winner of an allowance race last month.

McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro were first and second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 10, separated by a head. McKinzie was disqualified and placed second for bumping Bolt d’Oro in the final strides.

Owned by Ruis and his wife, Wendy, Bolt d’Oro has won 4 of 5 starts and earned $816,000. By Medaglia d’Oro, Bolt d’Oro won two Grade 1 races in 2017 and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last November.

The Santa Anita Derby field is expected to grow following the news regarding McKinzie. Ruis said he plans to run Orbit Rain, who has not raced since finishing second in a maiden race on turf Dec. 26. On Sunday, Orbit Rain worked five furlongs in 1:01.80.

“He worked incredible,” Ruis said. “I was going to run him because there was only going to be four horses. Now, it’s opened up for a lot of people to run in the Santa Anita Derby.”

Instilled Regard, the winner of the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds earlier this year, is another probable starter. He worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Saturday.

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