River Boyne takes wide route to Twilight Derby win

ARCADIA, Calif. - A wide trip on the final turn did not deter River Boyne in Sunday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

Despite being farther outside than jockey Flavien Prat or trainer Jeff Mullins would have preferred, River Boyne had sufficient momentum to reach the front in time for his fourth stakes win.

“When he’s in the clear, and as good as he’s been training, they better be running,” Mullins said. “He’s got a helluva kick.”

The power of River Boyne’s rally was on display through the stretch. Fourth with a furlong remaining, River Boyne took the lead in the final sixteenth to win the $201,380 Twilight Derby by a half-length over Have At It.

“He gave me a good kick,” Prat said.

Sent off as the favorite, River Boyne ($5.20) ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.70.

The win gave Prat a sweep of the two Grade 2 races on Sunday’s program. Earlier, Prat won the $201,035 Goldikova Stakes on Vasilika.

The Twilight Derby is the most prestigious win for River Boyne, who won the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 5, but was third as the even-money favorite in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 2. In the latter race, River Boyne followed a slow pace and led in the stretch before fading from contention.

In the Twilight Derby, River Boyne was farther back behind a quick pace of 23.31 seconds for the opening quarter-mile set by 11-1 Pubilius Syrus. Majestic Eagle (6-1) took the lead on the backstretch, through an opening half-mile in 46.64.

Prat had River Boyne in sixth for the first six furlongs, racing off the rail. Going into the turn, River Boyne was positioned behind Epical, who faded from contention and forced Prat to move River Boyne farther outside than he preferred.

“I thought I was following a good horse and he was done early,” Prat said of Epical.

River Boyne trained stretch leader Majestic Eagle by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining, but reached the front with strides to spare.

Have At It, the winner of the Grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 6, was second in the stretch and ran well to the finish.

“Turning for home, he kept fighting,” said jockey Joel Rosario, who rode Have At It for the first time. “The other horse had a good kick.”

Desert Stone, a 37-1 outsider, closed from seventh to finish third, a nose behind Have At It.

Majestic Eagle was fourth, followed by Platinum Warrior, Kazan, Epical, Andesh, and Pubilius Syrus.

River Boyne, an Irish-bred colt by Dandy Man, races for Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal. River Boyne has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $511,718.

Earlier this year, River Boyne won the Pasadena Stakes in March and the Rainbow Stakes in June, both at Santa Anita.

River Boyne was winless in two starts in England in 2017 before joining Mullins’s stable last fall. River Boyne has won 6 of 9 starts since being sent to the United States. The 10th start may be in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Dec. 1.