Bolt d'Oro sets sights on San Felipe

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 2-year-old male of 2017, has resumed training after recovering from a pulled muscle and is likely to have his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 10 at Santa Anita.

Owner and trainer Mick Ruis said Wednesday that Bolt d’Oro will have a two-race campaign in preparation for the Kentucky Derby, with the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7 another targeted race.

The $400,000 San Felipe Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles and is a key prep for the Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles. The San Felipe field is expected to include McKinzie, undefeated winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity last month and the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday.

“I think it will be good timing for him,” Ruis said of the San Felipe. “We’ll have a lot of competition. That will be fun.”

Bolt d’Oro was briefly taken out of training to undergo tests after the colt showed signs of distress in his hind end. He was cleared to resume training after a nuclear scan showed no problems. Ruis said Bolt d’Oro may have become cast in his stall.

“I had to be cautious,” he said. “You don’t want to gallop if he’s a little stiff.”

Bolt d’Oro could have his first workout of the year within two weeks, Ruis said.

By Medaglia d’Oro, Bolt d’Oro has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $576,000. He won consecutive Grade 1 races in the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 4 and the FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 3 before finishing third to Good Magic as the 7-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4.