Yougottawanna prevails in El Camino Real Derby

ALBANY, Calif. - Yougottawanna first caught the public's eye when he defeated Officer in the Cal Cup Juvenile last October.

He moved into the Derby picture Saturday, defeating Officer's stablemate, Danthebluegrassman, by three-quarters of a length to win the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

Yougottawanna ($17.80) was seventh early well off the pace set by Captain Squire as Danthebluegrassman rated just off the pace in second.

Danthebluegrassman pulled within a head of Captain Squire down the backstretch as Yougottawanna saved ground to the half-mile pole then moved out for a clear path as he gained ground around the turn.

He was three wide when he cut inside stablemate Cappuchino coming off the turn, and jockey Jason Lumpkins tried to get down to the rail before he realized he wouldn't be able to. He stayed wide and wore down Danthebluegrassman, whose jockey David Flores dropped his whip on the turn and resorted to trying to whip his colt home with his goggles.

"When I saw him come up inside Cappuchino, I thought it was his race to win," winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. "(Lumpkins) wanted to go in, and that wasn't going to work. He did a good job."

Lumpkins said riding Yougottawanna in the Golden State Mile on Feb. 12 paid dividends in the El Camino.

"I know him. I think it makes a difference," said Lumpkins, who was uninjured when dumped at the start two races later. "Jerry told me just to break him out of there and establish a good spot. He's a hard horse the first 16th, but I got him settled into the turn and covered up.

"When I asked him, he ran down the speed. I was watching Flores, and, at the same time I was watching Russell (Baze aboard Cappuchino). When I went inside Cappuchino, I knew he was done. I wanted to go inside down the stretch, but I was content where my was."

Flores said Danthebluegrassman, who had not raced since Jan. 12, tired a bit late.

"I had to hustle him early to get him into the race, but, after that, we were cruising," he said. "When Captain Squire stopped, my horse wanted to stop too."

He didn't think the loss of the whip cost the victory.

"I went to turn my whip, and it just flew out of my hand," he said. "But the horse responded when I asked him to and just got a little tired near the end."

Hollendorfer said that Yougottawanna came down with a rash after defeating Officer in the Cal Cup race at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. He ran sixth in the Hollywood Futurity and fourth behind Danthebluegrassman in the Golden Gate Derby on Jan. 12. He was second to stablemate Cappuchino in the Golden State Mile at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 12.

Hollendorfer said the colt's blood tested all right, but that he is sure now that the colt was bothered by the rash. He said that medication finally helped clear the problem up before the colt's last start.

Hollendorfer believes owners Ted Aroney of Halo Farms and Sid and Jenny Craig will probably want to run in the April 6 Santa Anita Derby.

Yougottawanna has now earned $316,085 with four victories, three seconds and a third in 10 starts.