Stronghold, the 2024 Santa Anita Derby winner, resumed a workout routine Thursday at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old drilled three furlongs in 39 seconds, his first breeze in more than three weeks as he gears up for his first start since August. “He had an abscess pop out of his foot,” trainer Phil D’Amato said this week, explaining the January interruption. “He’s doing super now. It [the abscess] was just one of those things, and better it happened now than later. He’s come back really well.” Although he has not won since the Santa Anita Derby in spring of 2024, Stronghold ran well in four of six subsequent starts. Those include runner-up finishes in a pair of Grade 1s in 2024 – the Pennsylvania Derby in September at Parx Racing, and the Malibu Stakes in December at Santa Anita. Stronghold has not started since finishing second in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes in August at Del Mar. Owned and bred by Eric and Sharon Waller, Stronghold has won three races and $1,228,000 from 12 starts. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.