Just Howard comes cross-country for Twilight Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – With a growing reputation in the 3-year-old turf division, Just Howard will start away from the Eastern Seaboard for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

The $200,000 Twilight Derby, for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on turf, has drawn a very good field, with three graded stakes winners, and five listed stakes winners in an 11-horse field.

Just Howard, trained by Graham Motion, must prove he can win outside of Maryland. Sharp Samurai, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 4, may go favored on the basis of his three consecutive stakes wins.

Big Score, second in the Del Mar Derby, is another leading contender, along with the Indiana stakes winner Cowboy Culture, the Canadian stakes winner Channel Maker, and Bowies Hero, a three-time stakes winner who was third in the Del Mar Derby.

The Twilight Derby is the ninth race on an 11-race program that begins at 12:15 p.m. Pacific.

KEY CONTENDERS

Just Howard, by English Channel

Last 3 Beyers: 96-85-80

◗ Owned by the Skeedattle Associates partnership, Just Howard has won four consecutive races, the latest being the Grade 3 Commonwealth Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf Sept. 30 at Laurel. Profiteer, who was third in the Commonwealth Derby, also starts in the Twilight Derby.

◗ The Commonwealth Derby was Just Howard’s graded stakes debut, preceded by two restricted stakes wins at Laurel in July and August. Just Howard lost his first five starts before starting his winning streak with a maiden race win at Pimlico in May.

“He’s always impressed us that he had the ability,” Motion said Wednesday. “I think once he figured it out, he’s kept on improving.”

“What’s probably helped, the owners have kept him in conservative company and we’ve stepped him up. This will be a leap on Saturday.”

◗ Feargal Lynch, who was aboard for the Commonwealth Derby win, will ride Just Howard in his first career mount at Santa Anita. Lynch is likely to have Just Howard in a stalking position.

“He’s a horse you can place where you like,” Motion said. “Having him be able to stay on him is a plus. He’s a good horse to know, but not a complicated horse.”

Sharp Samurai, by First Samurai

Last 3 Beyers: 93-93-94

◗ Sharp Samurai’s winning streak began in the Rainbow Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf here in June and continued at Del Mar in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap and the Del Mar Derby. In each race, Sharp Samurai made a sustained three-furlong move under Gary Stevens, who has the mount Saturday.

◗ The Del Mar Derby was a standout performance from trainer Mark Glatt’s perspective.

“What I thought was impressive was he gave up a lot of ground being wide on both turns and clear, and he had a clean trip,” Glatt said. “Gary was very confident in the horse and felt like he was on the best horse. He rode him accordingly.”

Big Score, by Mr. Big

Last 3 Beyers: 92-85-87

◗ The well-traveled Big Score has raced at five tracks this year. The Twilight Derby will be his first start at Santa Anita since a fifth in the BC Juvenile Turf last November. Big Score won the Zuma Beach for 2-year-old turf milers here in October 2016.

◗ In the Del Mar Derby, Big Score closed from fifth and was beaten a half-length by Sharp Samurai.

“I feel he’s in good form and hopefully we’ll be able to turn the tables,” trainer Tim Yakteen said.

◗ Flavien Prat will ride Big Score, who tends to race as a stalker.

Comma to the Top: Hoppertunity returns

Hoppertunity, a six-time stakes winner, will start for the first time since a sixth-place finish in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March in Saturday’s $70,000 Comma to the Top Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at a mile.

The 6-year-old Hoppertunity is trained by Bob Baffert, and may not even be Baffert’s best chance in the race. Baffert also starts American Freedom, sharp winner of a first-level optional claimer Aug. 13 at Del Mar. American Freedom makes his first start since an eighth in the Santa Anita Derby in April.