Bolt d'Oro has stamina-building workout for Kentucky Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – With slight urging in the stretch, Bolt d’Oro worked seven furlongs in 1:24.20 at Santa Anita on Sunday, his second-to-last major exercise before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5.

Second in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7, Bolt d’Oro worked alone on Sunday under jockey Victor Espinoza, who will ride the colt for the first time in the Kentucky Derby.

Espinoza guided Bolt d’Oro to a quick start in the workout, including a first half-mile in 46.60 seconds. Bolt d’Oro ran five furlongs in 58.40. Espinoza tapped Bolt d’Oro a few times with an underhand motion in the stretch before finishing the workout on the clubhouse turn.

“I think it’s a good work,” Espinoza said.

“When he works alone, he’s not as excellent, but he’s good enough. He got the air that he needed.”

Owner and trainer Mick Ruis said he did not intend to work Bolt d’Oro with a stablemate on Sunday to avoid a quick time.

“I didn’t want to go in 1:22. He ran two weeks ago,” he said. “He’ll be a little lazy working on his own.”

Ruis said Bolt d’Oro will have his final pre-Derby workout at Santa Anita on Saturday before being flown to Kentucky on April 30.

Bolt d’Oro has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $1,016,000 to rise to the fore of the nation’s 3-year-old division. Last September, Bolt d’Oro won consecutive Grade 1 stakes in the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs and the FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles before finishing third as the 7-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November.

In his first start of 2018, Bolt d’Oro finished second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 10, losing by a head to McKinzie. Bolt d’Oro was awarded the win via disqualification after McKinzie was ruled to have interfered with Bolt d’Oro when the two bumped near the finish.

In the Santa Anita Derby, Bolt d’Oro was beaten three lengths by Justify, another leading contender for the Kentucky Derby.

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