Unrivaled time surges from last to take Twilight Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. - At the Del Mar summer meeting, Unrivaled Time chased Proletariat in two turf stakes, closed ground in the final furlong, but was unable to catch a rival who led throughout.

In Sunday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita, the race scenario was different. Proletariat, the 2-5 favorite, was pressured on the front by 32-1 Tribalism, a duel that took its toll. Proletariat faded in the final furlong, while Unrivaled Time closed from last of six to record a surprise win.

Unrivaled Time ($20) finished a nose in front of 4-1 Path to Power, who was a neck ahead of 13-1 Essos. Proletariat finished fifth, beaten only 1 ¼ lengths.

Unrivaled Time, ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Leonard Powell, won the most prominent race of his career in the $200,500 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

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“I was happy that someone would go with the favorite,” Powell said. 

“The last few times there wasn’t that much pace and there were big fields and we had to circle all the way around.

“It was a better pace scenario for me.”

Unrivaled Time finished in 1:47.27.

Proletariat, the winner of the Oceanside Handicap at a mile on turf at Del Mar on July 17 and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 23, was beaten for the first time in 2026 in his fourth start. Unrivaled Time was eighth in the Oceanside and fourth in the Del Mar Derby.

On Sunday, Proletariat contributed to an early pace of 23.52 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and a half-mile in 46.26.

Ridden by Kyle Frey, Proletariat led by a length on the backstretch, but was challenged again by Tribalism on the turn and into the stretch before tiring. Tribalism finished fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length. Melismatic was last.

Frey declined to comment after the race.

By comparison, Proletariat led the Del Mar Derby after an opening half-mile in 47.87 seconds, holding a two-length advantage.

Unrivaled Time, a California-bred colt by Not This Time, has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $323,600 for Innergy Racing Corp. and Sonny Pais.

Rosario rode Unrivaled Time for the first time on Sunday.

“It looked like there was good speed,” Rosario said. “I rode him like he wanted to be ridden.”

In the stretch, Rosario had Unrivaled Time on the inside and rallied from fourth between rivals in the final furlong to reach the front at the wire.

“I was hoping to work it out,” Rosario said. “I took a chance inside.”

The Twilight Derby was Unrivaled Time’s third stakes win. He won the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar last November, and the Snow Chief Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf in May.

Powell said after the Twilight Derby that Unrivaled Time will have his next start in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Nov. 28.

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