Top local 3-year-olds meeting up in California Derby

The Golden Gate Fields spotlight centers squarely on 3-year-olds for the next month, with the $100,000 California Derby on Saturday and the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby, with its 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, on Feb. 13.

The 1 1/16-mile California Derby is expected to draw a deep field, including top local 3-year-old Mana Strike.

Mana Strike rallied from last to win the one-mile Gold Rush by 2 1/2 lengths here Dec. 5. He defeated Algenon, Marqula, and Allaboutaction, who all are expected to be back Saturday.

Those three came back Dec. 26 in an allowance prep on opening day. Allaboutaction, fourth as the 3-5 choice in the Gold Rush, restored his luster with a solid win over Marqula and Algenon. Allaboutaction, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, acted up in the paddock and was rank early in the Gold Rush but raced much more professionally in the allowance win.

Mana Strike wasn’t eligible for that first-level allowance race because of his stakes win, but trainer Frank Lucarelli said, “I’d rather have more time than race in between starts.”

Algenon has hit the board in all seven of his starts, including four stakes. He’s run into the undefeated Smokey Image twice and took on Code Warrior and Mana Strike in stakes races.

“He’s been beat by some awfully nice horses, but he tries all the time,” said trainer Len Kasmerski.

Jeff Bonde is planning on sending both Marqula and He’s a Tiger in the California Derby. The undefeated He’s a Tiger won his debut in May and an optional claimer here in December.

Marqula is a big colt who is still a “work in progress,” said Bonde, who won last year’s El Camino Real Derby with Metaboss.

Expected to come from Southern California for the California Derby are Frank Conversation, Glory Bound, Demonslayer, and Diplodocus. Go Long also is being considered for the race.

And though he won’t be running in the California Derby, the Hollendorfer-trained Life Is a Trip improved his record to 2 for 2 Saturday, earning his second 84 Beyer Speed Figure. He’ll add depth to the local crop of 3-year-olds.

Code Warrior targets Oaks

Three-year-old fillies will be in the spotlight in the California Oaks on Feb. 6, and trainer Manny Badilla said he is planning to start Code Warrior in that race. Code Warrior ran second in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez at Santa Anita on Jan. 2 after winning her first three starts, all in Northern California.

Badilla said the timing was “just right” for the California Oaks and that the filly came out of the race well and was doing fine back at Golden Gate Fields.

Code Warrior lost by a half-length to Forever Darling in the Santa Ynez, an effort that proved “she can ship, run on the dirt, and run with tough horses,” Badilla said.