Bolt d'Oro, McKinzie work toward Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie, the nation’s two leading 3-year-olds, cannot seem to get away from each other.

McKinzie finished a head in front of Bolt d’Oro in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 10, but was disqualified and placed second for bumping his rival in deep stretch.

Monday, Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie were on the track at Santa Anita at the same time for workouts in preparation for their next meeting in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 7. The $1 million Santa Anita Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles and is a key prep for the Triple Crown.

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McKinzie worked five furlongs in 59.40 in company with a stablemate. Bolt d’Oro worked a half-mile in 47 seconds in company with stablemate Midnight Harbour, who was timed in 48.20 seconds.

Monday’s workout was the second for McKinzie since the San Felipe. He worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on March 20.

McKinzie, trained by Bob Baffert, was second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in December in his stakes debut, but was promoted to first when stablemate Solomini was disqualified and placed third for causing interference in the stretch. McKinzie won his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita on Jan. 6.

Bolt d’Oro, who races for trainer Mick Ruis and his wife, Wendy, worked for the first time since the San Felipe on Monday. The San Felipe was Bolt d’Oro’s first start since a third-place finish as the 3-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last November. Bolt d’Oro won two Grade 1 races in California last September.

In a text message, Ruis said Bolt d’Oro’s workout was “very nice” with a “super gallop-out.”

“We’re right on schedule for the Santa Anita Derby,” he said.

Also Monday, Accelerate, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10, worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds. Trained by John Sadler, Accelerate is expected to start in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 14.

Sadler timed Accelerate in 49 seconds.

“He looks very bright,” Sadler said.