Rothschild has Twilight Derby to boost value before sale
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The value of the 3-year-old colt Rothschild may change substantially on Saturday afternoon.
Rothschild, who has won once in seven starts and has placed in three consecutive stakes, is scheduled to start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita.
On the evening of Oct. 30, Rothschild is part of the boutique Keeneland Championship Sale in the Del Mar paddock. The sale includes five horses expected to be pre-entered for Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 1-2 – 25 percent interests in Gold Phoenix and Kilwin, a 50 percent interest in Mufasa, and full sales of Pandora’s Gift and She’s Got a Way.
Aside from Rothschild, a 25 percent interest in Book’em Danno will be offered as well as full interests in Cornell, Green Light, and Reincarnate. All of those horses have won or placed in stakes.
Rothschild has thrived on turf since last fall. He was third in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at a mile on the surface at Del Mar last December in his final start of 2023.
Earlier this year, Rothschild was third by two lengths in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar on July 20 and third at 29-1 in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 31.
“He’s matured very nicely from the break he had earlier in the year,” trainer Tim Yakteen said on Sunday.
“He ran a big race in the Oceanside. He ran a tremendous race in the Nashville Derby.”
“The mile and an eighth is in his wheelhouse,” Yakteen said. “He’s a gorgeous horse. If he improves, he’s got a great future. I look forward to seeing him compete as a 4-year-old, whether he’s in my barn or not.”
The Twilight Derby is the richest race on the final weekend of the Santa Anita autumn meeting. Racing resumes at Santa Anita on Friday and runs through Sunday. Del Mar begins its autumn meeting on Oct. 31.
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