Hovdey: Drysdale's colt more than a dark horse in Del Mar Derby

As key heats go, the Del Mar Derby ranks among the best in the West, especially when you peruse the list of winners. Da Hoss and Val Royal won Breeders’ Cup races. Midnight Storm and Om almost did. Tight Spot won the Arlington Million. Twirling Candy, Hawkster, Ladies Din, and Tsunami Slew all went on to win major stakes as older horses.

Deputy Governor, a product of Kentucky, spent his early career abroad before joining Neil Drysdale in California just in time to win the 1987 Del Mar Derby. The son of Master Willie added Hollywood Park’s John Henry Handicap the following season along with the Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar, and since both races were rated Grade 1 at the time it is safe to recall Deputy Governor with a degree of respect.

“Has it been that long?” Drysdale said as he considered the place of the Del Mar Derby in his Hall of Fame career. “Well, at least we’ve had some horses run well in the race without winning.”

If form has anything to do with it, Majestic Eagle could fit into just such a category for this year’s 74th running of the 1 1/8-mile race on turf. The Del Mar Derby field is topped by River Boyne, whose 2018 season of five starts has been tarnished only by a third-place finish in the American Turf on yielding ground at Churchill Downs. Otherwise, the Irish colt has been perfect, including a professional score in the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar in early August.

Drysdale harbors no delusions, but he does have a promising colt who seems to be sneaking slowly into the local consciousness. Since he was placed on the grass in his third start, Majestic Eagle has never failed to fire. He has won twice since then, with four seconds, and most recently he won a first-level allowance race on the Del Mar turf at the derby distance.

Majestic Eagle is a bay son of Medaglia d’Oro bred in Kentucky by Bobby Flay and owned by David Heerensperger, one of Drysdale’s core of longtime clients.

“He’s a late-maturing colt who’s come around very well,” Drysdale said of Majestic Eagle. “I’m very pleased with his development, although I do think we’ll all have difficulty dealing with River Boyne.”

This is a standard Drysdale stance on the threshold of any race, whether he is preparing A.P. Indy for the Breeders’ Cup Classic or Fusaichi Pegasus for the Kentucky Derby. It’s best never to get hopes too high, but always be prepared to celebrate.

Drysdale has had a number of reasons to celebrate this year, although he’s had to travel for the party. He began the season with a victory by Madame Stripes in the Grade 3 Megahertz at home at Santa Anita, then added the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs with Toinette, a daughter of Scat Daddy. In June, the French filly La Sardane took the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont and lingered there long enough to add the Perfect Sting.

“You have to go where the opportunities are, especially with fillies,” Drysdale said. “Getting them black type is very important.”

As far as his local form, Drysdale’s Del Mar meet has been a case of what might have been. Calumet Farm’s Vexatious won the minor CTT-TOC Stakes, Madame Stripes finished second in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon, and Californiagoldrush, a daughter of Cape Blanco, closed well to be third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

If such near misses discourage Drysdale he hides it well behind a stiff upper English lip on American display since his days as Charlie Whittingham’s top assistant in the early 1970s. Drysdale never trades in bulk – he has topped 300 starters only once in 43 seasons, and he won’t again this year. But he is on track to easily have his best season in purse earnings in a decade, thanks primarily to the collection of fillies named above.

This is keeping in the family tradition. Drysdale’s best fillies have included Hall of Famers Princess Rooney and Bold ’n Determined and champion Hollywood Wildcat. Drysdale’s wider fame, though, has come from the boys. In addition to A.P. Indy and Fusaichi Pegasus, there have been Breeders’ Cup winners Tasso, Prized, and War Chant, and such major stakes winners as Labeeb, Hawksley Hill, Sabona, and Aragorn.

If Majestic Eagle is to join them, he will need to strut some serious stuff in his stakes debut Sunday. The rest of the 3-year-old season in California is tilted heavily toward turf, including the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita and the Hollywood Derby back at Del Mar.

“As you can see from his record, you can place him anywhere,” Drysdale said. “He can come from behind, or sit off the pace – do whatever you wish – which gives him quite a bit of an advantage. And we have a tactical jockey on board.”

That would be Gary Stevens, who will be riding Majestic Eagle for the first time in the Del Mar Derby. Drysdale was asked to recall his history with the fellow Hall of Famer.

“Well, he’s only won one Breeders’ Cup for me,” the trainer replied.

That would be the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on War Chant.

“But then, he’s only ridden the one Breeders’ Cup for me,” Drysdale added. “One and done.”

Maybe not.