Romans may have another Derby contender in Storm Runner

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Less than 24 hours after finishing second and third, respectively, with Free Drop Billy and Tiz Mischief in the Grade 2 Holy Bull, trainer Dale Romans may have found himself another Kentucky Derby candidate after Storm Runner outlasted odds-on favorite Mississippi to capture Sunday’s co-feature going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

“I think he’s kind of under the radar because of his purchase price [$5,000] as a yearling,” Romans said. “We bought him at Ellis after his second start. People might have to start paying attention to him, and I might have to start thinking of getting him to some of the bigger races.”

Mississippi, who scratched out of the Holy Bull after drawing post position 11, ran well in defeat after being left with a bit too much to do trying to catch the winner with the short stretch run in races decided at 1 1/16 miles locally.

Two of the leading members of the 3-year-old division, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic and the undefeated Montauk, both worked over the weekend as they continue to progress toward their much-anticipated 2018 debuts.

Trainer Chad Brown broke into a smile when asked about the reigning 2-year-old champion Good Magic after the colt breezed five furlongs in 1:01 at Palm Meadows on Saturday.

“He’s right on schedule now, he’s made a lot of progress over the last few weeks after getting started a few weeks later than I wanted,” Brown said. “He’s made up all that ground on his own and is really coming to hand well.”

Brown is targeting the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 3 for Good Magic’s 3-year-old bow.

Montauk, an 11 1/4-length winner of his only start at 2, breezed four furlongs in 51.20 seconds on Saturday at Palm Beach Downs, just his second work since returning to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn earlier this winter.

“So far, we’ve gotten to do everything we’ve wanted to do with him since he’s come in,” Pletcher said. “He trains like a horse who’ll come to hand very quickly. It’s going to be a tight schedule [to make the Derby], but the owners are pretty relaxed about it. They just said if it happens on his terms, fine, if not don’t worry about it.”

Montauk is owned, in partnership, by Robert LaPenta, Eclipse Thoroughbreds, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables.