Gormley ready for anything in Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – On Sunday at Santa Anita, the two-time stakes winner Gormley had a slightly unconventional workout in advance of Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

Entering the stretch of the five-furlong workout, exercise rider Francisco Alvarado brought Gormley up the rail, on the inside of a workmate. Typically, stakes horses working in company will finish on the outside, but this was a different approach. Trainer John Shirreffs wants Gormley ready for any scenario in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

Gormley was timed in 1:01.20 for his workout. On Monday, stablemate Royal Mo had the same time for a workout under jockey Gary Stevens.

Both Gormley and Royal Mo start in the Santa Anita Derby with something to prove.

Gormley won his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile Jan. 7 but was a well-beaten fourth after dueling for the lead in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 11.

“I don’t think the San Felipe set up well for him,” Shirreffs said.

Gormley was between runners as the race unfolded, giving jockey Victor Espinoza little choice but to keep him with the leaders.

“He couldn’t back out because there was a horse beside him, and then Iliad came up on the outside,” Shirreffs said.

Gormley finished 9 3/4 lengths behind Mastery, who won the race and was pulled up with an injury, and three lengths behind Iliad, who finished second.

Gormley has won 3 of 5 starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. Last fall, Gormley won the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles and was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The Mosses also own Royal Mo, who won the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February. Royal Mo was ninth in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on March 18 in his last start. Stevens said Monday’s workout was a get-to-know-him session.

“That was more for me than him,” Stevens said. “He wanted to do more than I allowed him. We’re five days out from the race.”

Stevens has won the Santa Anita Derby a record nine times, most recently on Buddy Gil in 2003.

The Santa Anita Derby will have a large field. Iliad is the likely favorite. Other probable starters are American Anthem, Battle of Midway, Kimbear, Midnight Pleasure, Milton Freewater, Reach the World, So Conflated, Term of Art, and West Coast.

Trainer George Papaprodromou said on Monday that he may run Comma Sister, who won a maiden race on turf Feb. 20 in his third start. The Santa Anita Derby would be the stakes debut for Comma Sister.