Conquest Typhoon a lukewarm favorite in El Camino Real Derby
Ten 3-year-olds with high hopes and plenty to prove signed up for Northern California’s stop on the road to the Kentucky Derby, Saturday’s $200,000, Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields.
Linemaker Steve Martinelli listed the multiple graded stakes-winning Conquest Typhoon as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite. He has seven runners at 8-1 or less in the 1 1/8-mile race that gives the winner 10 points on the Kentucky Derby qualifying system.
Four Hall of Fame jockeys – Russell Baze; Kent Desormeaux; Mike Smith, who has the mount on the favorite; and Alex Solis – will be riding. Each has ridden an El Camino winner in the past, with Baze winning nine times.
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Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has won the race six times, including with Tamarando last year, and has entered three runners: California Derby winner Cross the Line, Gold Rush Stakes winner Stand and Salute, and maiden-race winner Harmonic.
Conquest Typhoon’s trainer, Mark Casse, a six-time winner of the Sovereign Award as Canada’s top trainer, and Dale Romans, who saddles 4-1 second choice Indianaughty, will send out runners for the first time at Golden Gate Fields.
The race is a paceless one since only the maiden Donji, Indianaughty, Cross the Line, and Conquest Typhoon have ever been in front before the stretch.
Conquest Typhoon, the winner of the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine and the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar, is the lone graded stakes winner in the race. Mischief Clem, who won the California Cup Derby in his last start, joins Cross the Line and Stand and Salute as the only other stakes winners in the field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Metaboss (Last 3 Beyers: 73-77-62)
◗ This late foal put together a strong closing kick to win his maiden at this distance. He and longshot Harmonic, also coming off a maiden win, are the only runners in the field to have won or raced at the distance.
◗ This is big step up, but he’s lost to Bolo, who won a stakes in his next start; the undefeated Ocho Ocho Ocho, who is 3 for 3 with two stakes wins, one graded; and Stormy Liberal, who is graded stakes-placed.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Metaboss. Maiden win last out has had three return runners so far; all three finished sixth or worse. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Conquest Typhoon (Last 3 Beyers: 79-76-64)
◗ This Canadian-bred got the month of December off after winning the DeMille and has been working splendidly since Jan. 1.
◗ His condition is a question over this track, but he was the runner-up in a pair of stakes on Woodbine’s synthetic surface.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Conquest Typhoon. Trainer Mark Casse is 22-9-4-1 with a $3.39 ROI over the past five years going turf to synthetic in routes with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Mischief Clem (Last 3 Beyers: 85-68-74)
◗ He’s sharp coming into this race with a highly rated, game victory last out, and he has had a solid work since.
◗ He should be nicely positioned in this paceless race despite his outside draw.