Sharp Samurai on a roll for Hollywood Derby

DEL MAR, Calif. – There have been three pivotal moments in Sharp Samurai’s career. First, he was gelded. Then he was moved to the turf. Finally, he was united with jockey Gary Stevens.

That combination has made Sharp Samurai unbeatable.

He has won four straight on turf since Stevens took over as his rider. He will try to make it five Saturday in the biggest race of his career to date, the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby, highlight of the penultimate card of this four-week meeting at Del Mar.

The Hollywood Derby, at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is the final Grade 1 race of the year in which 3-year-old males can compete against their own age group on the turf. It attracted a field of nine, including the usual suspects Sharp Samurai has been facing, such as Big Score and Bowie’s Hero. But also lured Mo Town, who has underachieved this year but looked like a different horse when switched to the grass at Belmont Park for his last start.

But the race goes through Sharp Samurai, whose ascension this year has mirrored that of his trainer, Mark Glatt. Led by Sharp Samurai and Blackjackcat, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile earlier this month, Glatt is having the best year of his career. With more than a month to go in the year, Glatt, 44, already has set a personal single-season record for purse earnings, with his runners banking more than $2.5 million.

Sharp Samurai is responsible for a big chunk of that change. He has earned more than $465,000 this year by steamrolling through the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap, Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, and Grade 2 Twilight Derby in his last three starts. The Twilight Derby, Oct. 28 at Santa Anita, might have been his best race yet.

“He ran awfully well the other day,” Glatt said.

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He has come a long ways this year. Sharp Samurai ran once at age 2, finishing eighth in a maiden sprint at Santa Anita in November 2016. That was his first and last race as a colt.

“We knew he was talented, but he was one of those horses where one work you’d love, and the next time he’d do something to irritate you,” Glatt said. “After his first race we knew we were not going to get anywhere unless we cut him.”

Sharp Samurai did not race again for more than three months. He was risked for a $75,000 price in a maiden-claiming race. He won by more than nine lengths. Fortunately for Glatt and owners Jed and Tim Cohen, there were no takers.

“We took a shot, but how often do you see a maiden claimed for $75,000?” Glatt said. “It seemed there was little risk, it was a tad easier, and it helped get him going.”

After being beaten by some of the leading 3-year-olds in California in an allowance race in March, Sharp Samurai was moved to the grass. There was no turning back.

“Once we saw how he ran on the turf, we figured we’d stay on it,” Glatt said.

Sharp Samurai won a first-level allowance in April, then Stevens took over after he was defeated in the Singletary Stakes in May. He hasn’t lost since, with a win in the Rainbow at Santa Anita in June preceding his run of three straight graded stakes victories.

Mo Town, winner of last year’s Remsen, had lost four straight this year before he was moved to the grass for his last start. The improvement was dramatic, as he crushed his elders in a second-level allowance while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 102, best in this field.

Big Score and Bowie’s Hero have given futile chase to Sharp Samurai in their last two starts, finishing second and third in both the Del Mar Derby and Twilight Derby. Both have never finished out of the money in their three starts on Del Mar’s turf.

Channel Maker was fourth, Just Howard sixth, and Ann Arbor Eddie seventh in the Twilight Derby. Ritzy A.P. has finished in the money in three straight allowance races since he was sixth in the Del Mar Derby. Souper Tapit is making his third start since a summer freshening.

The Hollywood Derby goes as race 7 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. There are two other stakes on the card. The Grade 3 Native Diver for older dirt horses such as Mubtaahij and Top of the Game is race 5, and a field of 13 is entered in race 9, the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante for 2-year-old fillies on turf.