Late charge propels Raging Bull to Hollywood Derby win

DEL MAR, Calif. – Following a pair of graded stakes wins at Saratoga, Raging Bull ran the worst race race of his life in the Hill Prince at Belmont Park on Oct. 6 as the odds-on favorite. But on Saturday at Del Mar he showed he wasn’t down for the count.

After racing once a month from June through October, Raging Bull was given two months by trainer Chad Brown to train straight into the Hollywood Derby, and he came with a knockout punch. Far back early, Raging Bull finished fastest of all and caught River Boyne in the final strides to prevail in the Grade 1, $302,760 race for 3-year-old grass runners.

Raging Bull ($5.80) provided jockey Joel Rosario with his third win of the day for what could prove a preview of coming attractions, as Rosario will relocate to Southern California for the winter for the main Santa Anita meeting that begins on Dec. 26.

In the Hollywood Derby, Raging Bull settled into 11th in the 13-horse field the first part of the 1 1/8-mile grass race. Rosario set his radar on River Boyne, who was right in front of him.

“I had my eye on him. I know he’s a good horse,” Rosario said. “I just followed him.”

Both had to go around horses on the far turn to have a clean run. River Boyne took the lead entering the lane and was up by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go, but Raging Bull made the last run, with Rosario purposely waiting as long as he could.

“He has a quarter-mile kick,” Rosario said. “I just wanted to stay outside.”

Raging Bull was best by a half-length, with River Boyne finishing 2 3/4 lengths in front of third-place Instilled Regard, who, like Raging Bull, is trained by Brown.

“Pretty good for first time on turf,” jockey Florent Geroux said of Instilled Regard’s performance.

Prince Earl was fourth and was followed, in order, by Carrick, Fight On, Risky Proposition, Desert Stone, Kazan, Platinum Warrior, Way Early, Have At It, and Pubilius Syrus.

Californiagoldrush, the only filly entered in the race, was scratched.

Raging Bull was timed in 1:48.34 for 1 1/8 miles on a course rated firm. There had been no racing on the course on Thursday or Friday following a significant storm on Thursday.

Raging Bull, a son of Dark Angel, was bred in France but has raced exclusively in the United States for owner Peter Brant. He has now won five times in seven starts, and the $180,000 he earned on Saturday increased his bankroll to $584,500.