Calder Derby: Our Caravan scores upset over Ring Weekend

MIAMI – Our Caravan showed why trainer Michael Dilger had tried him against the cream of south Florida’s 3-year-old division this winter by drawing away to a 9 3/4-length victory over the odds-on Ring Weekend in Saturday’s $250,000 Calder Derby.

Ring Weekend, who already had earned enough qualifying points to assure himself a berth in the Kentucky Derby by virtue of his victory in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, finished a tiring second after abruptly ducking away from the winner in early stretch. Following a stewards’ inquiry and a claim of foul by Ring Weekend’s jockey, Alan Garcia, against Our Caravan, the result stood.

Our Caravan had finished a distant eighth in the Grade 2 Holy Bull and seventh in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth after winning his maiden when launching his career back in December at Gulfstream Park. He was equipped with blinkers for the first time in the nine-furlong Calder Derby.

With jockey Manny Cruz aboard, Our Caravan stalked the early pace of Charlie the Boss before edging to a short advantage midway on the second turn. Ring Weekend stumbled briefly at the break but recovered to race within easy striking distance of the early leaders through an opening six furlongs in 1:14.67.

Garcia sent Ring Weekend up to engage Our Caravan leaving the five-sixteenths pole, but the leader dug in gamely at that point. Our Caravan drifted out toward Ring Weekend near the three-sixteenths pole, at which point the 1-5 favorite was snatched up suddenly by Garcia, ducking sharply to the outside. He wouldn’t recover, as Our Caravan steadily increased his advantage under pressure, with Ring Weekend laboring to the wire but still good enough to maintain a 3 3/4-length margin over Cleburne for second money.

Our Caravan, a son of Dasher owned by Anstu Stables, completed the distance in 1:54.32 over a fast but cuppy racetrack and paid $13.20 as the second choice in a field of nine 3-year-olds.

“I thought it was a great performance by our horse. Obviously, the blinkers helped a lot,” Dilger said. “It probably shows just how strong the Fountain of Youth was. Any time they have an inquiry, you have to be nervous, but the fact he won by so far probably helped make a strong case for leaving his number up.”

Dilger said Our Caravan will be sent to New York, where he could make his next start at Belmont Park in the Peter Pan Stakes.

Trainer Graham Motion said he was at a loss to explain Ring Weekend’s disappointing performance.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

“Alan just said he never handled the track at all,” Motion said. “He said it was deeper than when he worked, and worked so well here, last week. Today, he felt he was off the bridle and not really taking him into the race. It’s disappointing. He didn’t even gallop out. It just seemed like he struggled over the track. I don’t know what to make of it at this point. It’s confusing.”

Motion said he wouldn’t use the incident near midstretch as an excuse.

“I’m not sure if it was an overreaction. The other horse maybe came out a little bit, but I don’t think there was a whole lot there,” Motion said. “I don’t want to say it was a big excuse, to be honest. He certainly lost momentum, but he certainly didn’t run like he did at Tampa.”

Motion said he would withhold a decision on Ring Weekend’s Kentucky Derby status until talking it over with the owners.

“Alan said we should throw it out,” Motion said of Saturday’s race. “We’ll have to talk about it.”