Dream Shake tunes up for Santa Anita Derby

Since Dream Shake finished third in his stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 6, the promising 3-year-old colt has spent the last two Saturdays zipping through fast workouts.

On March 20, Dream Shake worked five furlongs in 58.20 seconds, the fastest of 75 recorded works for the morning. On Saturday, Dream Shake worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds, his last major exercise before the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Trainer Peter Eurton timed Dream Shake galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60.

“He looks like he is where he should be,” Eurton said. “I think it was fast enough. Hopefully, everything looks good and we’ll go.”

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Leading rider Flavien Prat is booked to ride Dream Shake in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, the main West Coast prep race for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1.

Dream Shake is part of a projected field of eight along with Medina Spirit, who was second in the San Felipe. Race winner Life Is Good was the leading California-based candidate for the Kentucky Derby until he was sidelined with an injury earlier this month.

Other expected runners in the Santa Anita Derby are Defunded, Ottothelegend, Parnelli, Rock Your World, Roman Centurian, and The Great One.

Roman Centurian, fourth in the San Felipe, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Saturday.

The Santa Anita Derby field will not include Rombauer, the winner of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 13 in his first start of 2021. Rombauer will have his next start in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland on April 3, trainer Michael McCarthy said.

On Saturday, Rombauer worked five furlongs in 1:00.40.