Parnelli to wear blinkers, team up with Maldonado for Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – Parnelli will have new rider and new equipment as he tries to reverse his recent form when he starts as a longshot in the Grade 1, $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.

Parnelli worked five furlongs on Monday morning at Santa Anita in a sharp 59.40 seconds under Edwin Maldonado, who will ride Parnelli for the first time in the Santa Anita Derby. Parnelli has been working in blinkers in his recent drills and will race in them for the first time Saturday.

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“It looks like they’ve made a difference,” said John Shirreffs, who trains Parnelli and has held the colt in high regard. “If his runs his best race, he can be right there.”

Parnelli, a colt by Quality Road, was an impressive maiden winner going long at Del Mar last fall in his fourth start and looked to be one of the better local 3-year-old prospects of 2021 heading into the Santa Anita meeting. But he was a distant third behind Life Is Good in the Grade 3 Sham on Jan. 2, then beat just one horse when finishing fifth, nearly 20 lengths in arrears, in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis last time out Jan. 30.

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Also Monday, the likely Santa Anita Derby longshot Defunded worked five furlongs in 59.60 for trainer Bob Baffert. Defunded won a maiden sprint going six furlongs on March 6 in his first start since his debut last August.

Other works of significance Monday included the good female sprinter Edgeway, who went five furlongs in 1:00.20 for trainer John Sadler for a potential start Sunday in the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes, and Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol, who also was timed in 1:00.20 for five furlongs for trainer Richard Baltas.

Sadler said Edgeway would run in either the Las Flores or the following Saturday in the $250,000 Carousel at Oaklawn. Both races are at six furlongs.