Diodoro trying for fourth Manitoba Derby win since 2016

Something Natural will try to give trainer Robertino Diodoro his fourth win in the last five years in the $60,000 Manitoba Derby on Monday at Assiniboia Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Derby drew eight horses, each of whom will carry 122 pounds.

The Derby goes as race 7 on an eight-race card. The last race features a mandatory payout of the Jackpot Super High 5, which will have a carryover of $188,268. There also is a $50,000-guaranteed pool for the pick four, which begins on race 5. Plus, the Jackpot Pick 5 has a $311,986 carryover. The sequence starts on race 4.

Diodoro, who is currently the third-leading trainer in North America by wins, won his first Manitoba Derby with Inside Straight in 2016. After missing in 2017, Diodoro’s Sky Promise romped in 2018 and then won the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park and the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby at Hastings. Oil Money gave Diodoro his third victory when he took them all the way last year.

Diodoro claimed Sky Promise for $40,000 at Churchill Downs prior to his blowout win in 2018. Something Natural on Monday will be making his first start since Diodoro haltered him out of a $20,000 conditioned claimer on June 28 at Churchill. Racing for trainer Brad Cox, the Kentucky-bred son of Violence finished fourth over a sloppy track in the 1 1/16-mile race.

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“He’s doing good,” Diodoro said from Saratoga. “They run on dirt and not on paper, but it sure looks like the race suits him.”

If Something Natural runs anywhere as well as he did in winning a first-level allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option on Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park he’s the winner.

Diodoro likes that the race will be held at approximately 10:35 p.m. Central.

“Brad said he doesn’t really like the heat,” Diodoro said. “It should be cool enough for him when they run the race.”

Something Natural will break from post 3 with Rico Walcott riding. Walcott rode Sky Promise to his emphatic victory.

Diodoro, who has a string of horses at Canterbury Park, thinks Real Grace is the main threat.

Real Grace is coming off a five-length victory in the Derby Trial on July 13 at Assiniboia. Making his first start for trainer Shelley Brown, he set a pressured pace before drawing away to win the one-mile race by five lengths under Walcott. He went into the Derby Trial off a runner-up finish in a maiden special weight race on June 29 at Canterbury. He was going a middle distance for the first time in his four-race career when he dominated the Derby Trial.

“He ran against some pretty nice horses at Canterbury,” Diodoro said.

From the looks of his bullet four-furlong work in 47.40 seconds on July 28 at Assiniboia, Brown appears to have the Kentucky-bred son of Mineshaft ready for another big effort.

He drew the rail with Antonio Whitehall picking up the mount.

Mongolian Wind, who won a $40,000 maiden claimer at Los Alamitos in his second start June 28, looks like the only real threat to the top pair.