Sacred Rider has home-court edge in El Camino Real Derby

When trainer Steve Specht entered Sacred Rider in Saturday’s $100,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, he kept his options open by still considering running him in a California-bred allowance mile on the turf Sunday at Santa Anita.

“We’ll see if he has a legitimate shot to win the race,” said Specht earlier in the week.

Evidently Specht thinks Sacred Rider has a chance to win the El Camino Real Derby, because has decided to keep him home for the 1 1/8-mile race over the Tapeta. The El Camino Real Derby offers 10 Kentucky Derby points to the winner and also a spot in the Preakness.

Specht’s decision might have been made easier when locally based Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Anneau d’Or shipped to Fair Grounds for the Risen Star. Still, Sacred Rider must face the Bob Baffert-trained Azul Coast, who comes off a second to stablemate Authentic in the Grade 3 Sham at Santa Anita on Jan. 4.

“He looks like the one to beat, but they gotta come here, and we get to stay home,” Specht said.

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Sacred Rider ran second in the Gold Rush at Golden Gate on Dec. 7 and was second, beaten a neck, in the Cal Cup Derby at Santa Anita in his last start.

Sacred Rider raced a bit wide in the Cal Cup Derby, and he hung a bit late.

“I don’t think he had any excuses,” Specht said.

Saturday’s field of 11 includes three Kentucky Derby-nominated runners from Southern California: Azul Coast; Czechmight, a maiden winner at Keeneland in October who is making his first start since then; and The Stiff, who just won an allowance race.

There are legitimate contenders among the locally based runners.

The Quinn Howey-trained Indian Peak beat Sacred Rider in an optional claimer at Golden Gate on Dec. 27. In the Cal Cup Derby, Juan Hernandez had to steady Indian Peak into the lane and they faded from third to seventh. Hernandez will be aboard again on Saturday.

“Juan told me immediately after that race we should run in the El Camino,” said Howey. “He’s training great and seems to be peaking.”

Steve Sherman enters American Farmer, who is a recent maiden winner, and Mysterious Stones, whose three-race win streak was snapped when he ran third behind The Stiff last time, beaten less than a length.

American Farmer, making his fifth start, rallied from 10 lengths back early to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on the Tapeta Jan. 26.

“His strength is finishing, and he had a couple troubled trips,” Sherman said. “Going from maidens to winners is a big step up, but distance won’t be a problem.”

Sherman said Mysterious Stones merits a shot because “he’s been very honest.”

Blaine Wright, who trains Anneau d’Or, is sending out Ajourneytofreedom in the El Camino Real Derby. Ajourneytofreedom is a half-brother to last year’s El Camino winner, Anothertwistafate.