Hollywood Derby a glimpse of today's best and tomorrow's stars

Even without contemplating its influence on next season, the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby attracted the season’s biggest and deepest field of 3-year-olds on grass – 13 runners, including 10 stakes winners, entered the $300,000 race Saturday at Del Mar.

When expectations for 2021 are considered, particularly for Smooth Like Strait and Gufo, the 1 1/8-mile derby is doubly attractive. A compelling race on its own merit, the Hollywood Derby also offers a preview of what the older turf division might look like next year.

“Obviously we’re looking for a good result this weekend,” said Smooth Like Strait’s trainer, Michael McCarthy. “Also looking forward to a nice 4-year-old campaign with him. I think he’s going to be very good.”

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He already is a good 3-year-old. California-based Smooth Like Strait has won 5 of 10, including three graded stakes, two at Del Mar. But his rivals include a strong New York tandem trained by Christophe Clement – graded winners Gufo and Decorated Invader.

“They’re both top class,” Clement said. “Decorated Invader is a miler to mile and an eighth. And Gufo is more of a mile-and-an-eighth, mile-and-a-quarter kind of horse. [The derby] is an ideal race for the two of them, even if we were not very lucky at the draw.”

Decorated Invader, 5 for 9 with three graded wins, drew post 10. Gufo, 5 for 7 with two graded wins including the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, drew the outside, post 13.

The Hollywood Derby also includes Domestic Spending, the Saratoga Derby winner trying to give trainer Chad Brown his third Hollywood Derby win in five years. Get Smokin is a graded winner from New York trained by Thomas Bush. Storm the Court seeks his first win since the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The others entered in the Hollywood Derby, the final race on a nine-race card, are Kanderel, Scarto, Taishan, the filly California Kook, Strongconstitution, Ever Dangerous, and Lane Way.

Umberto Rispoli rides Smooth Like Strait from post 2; the colt’s attributes are tactical speed and ability to finish.

“He has a very high cruising speed and a strong kick as well, which is something you don’t find a lot,” McCarthy said.

Win or lose, Smooth Like Strait will get a break following the derby before he gears up for a 4-year-old campaign in spring.

Clement trainees Decorated Invader and Gufo arrived Monday at Del Mar, and though post 10 is a drawback for Decorated Invader and jockey Joel Rosario, he will appreciate firm ground and equal weights after finishing second in the Grade 2 Hill Prince at Belmont. Racing over a yielding course, Decorated Invader missed by a head while carrying six pounds more than winner Get Smokin, who will set or press the pace in the Hollywood Derby.

Decorated Invader employs a pressing style; Gufo rallies from out of the clouds.

“He’s a funny horse,” Clement said of Gufo. “He’s a little bit of a lazy kind of horse.”

It was not a knock. Gufo lollygags early and turns it on late.

“He kicks, from the quarter pole to the wire,” Clement said. “He has a very good turn of foot. They’re both very exciting, the best 3-year-olds I’ve trained since Gio Ponti.”

Gio Ponti won three graded stakes as a 3-year-old in 2008, seven Grade 1s as an older horse, and retired with 12 wins and more than $6.1 million from 29 starts.

Clement envisions Gufo stretching to a mile and a quarter and beyond next season. He will be ridden Saturday for the first time by Flavien Prat. How he works out a trip from post 13 is only a guess. He probably will drop out, tuck inside, and blast home. And he will need to get lucky.

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In a 13-horse field, they all need luck, including lightly raced Domestic Spending, who makes his first start since winning the $500,000 Saratoga Derby in mid-August. Irad Ortiz rides Domestic Spending, who has won 3 of 4 and upset Gufo last out.

Longshot bettors could do worse than take a shot on Scarto or Taishan. Scarto finished second behind Smooth Like Strait last out in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita, but that was after Scarto steadied sharply at the half-mile pole. He might be outclassed, but if Smooth Like Strait is the horse to beat, Scarto merits a look considering his trouble.

Taishan, who finished in front of Smooth Like Strait when second in Kentucky two starts back, had an odd trip at Keeneland last out. He tucked inside just off the pace, then did not have a clear run into the lane and finished seventh, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

Richard Baltas trains Taishan.

“I wanted to give him a rest, but he’s still doing good,” Baltas said. “It’s a Grade 1, right? It’s worth taking a shot.”