Stronghold's strong work labels him a Santa Anita Derby threat

ARCADIA, Calif. – Stronghold’s impressive team work this week at Santa Anita solidified the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby winner as a contender April 6 in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

Stronghold and jockey Antonio Fresu broke off behind graded turf stakes winners Gold Phoenix and Motorious in the March 25 drill, took dirt, angled outside, and ran past his older workmates in a blazing 58.40 seconds, the fastest five furlongs of the day.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” trainer Phil D’Amato said afterward. “I loved how professional he was, took a lot of dirt in his face, was nice and relaxed . . . and ran down two very nice graded stakes horses. Granted, they’re turf horses. But they are good breeze horses on dirt.”

Stronghold has finished first or second in all five starts for owner-breeders Eric and Sharon Waller, who campaigned the colt’s Grade 2-winning dam, Spectator.

The Santa Anita Derby field may include Tapalo, runner-up in the El Camino Real Derby; Tessuto, a last-out maiden winner; and E J Won the Cup, winner of the Turf Paradise Derby. Bob Baffert trains a handful of Santa Anita Derby candidates, including Maymun, Imagination, Wine Me Up, Coach Prime, and Wynstock.

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McVay, a maiden with 19 Kentucky Derby points, is being aimed to a maiden race.

Ruby winner Endlessly back to turf

Endlessly is not technically out of the Kentucky Derby, but trainer Michael McCarthy reiterated this week the colt will return to turf. Endlessly won the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on synthetic at Turfway Park by four lengths, earning 100 Derby qualifying points.

“He’s on schedule for the [Grade 2] American Turf,” McCarthy said, referring to the turf race for 3-year-olds on the Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby undercard. Endlessly has never started on dirt; his dirt workouts have been average.

Scatify possible for Lafayette

Scatify, the Grade 3-placed colt eliminated by severe trouble on the first turn of the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis on March 3 at Santa Anita, has recovered from his last-place finish and is training forwardly. Trainer John Sadler said the colt’s legs were “cut up.” Scatify healed from the superficial cuts and has worked twice since.

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“I don’t think he has enough time to catch up for the Santa Anita Derby,” Sadler said. “We might go over to Keeneland for the Lafayette, shorten him up a little bit.”

The $400,000 Lafayette is a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds on April 5.

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