2015 El Camino Real Derby Preview
The Road to the 2015 Kentucky Derby continues on Saturday with the 2015 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California. A field of 10 horses is entered with the chance to earn up to 10 points towards the Kentucky Leaderboard.
The 10 horses will be going 1 mile and one eighth over Golden Gate’s main track (Tapeta synthetic surface). This is a grade 3 event with a purse of $200,000. Post time for the 2015 El Camino Real Derby is at 6:50 PM Eastern Time and is carded as the seventh of nine races.
A look at each of the ten entrants into the El Camino Real Derby is below. Free past performances can be found here.
1. Donji (30-1 Morning Line) – He sits as the longest shot on the morning line and for good reason. He is the only horse to have not broken his maiden. All 7 of those races took place at the maiden $30,000 level with two second place finishes and a third. Pass on his chances in this race.
2. Indianaughty (4-1 ML) – He began his career in Great Britain where he finished third and first in his first two races. After a 5 month break he was seen again at Gulfstream last time out and he got up to win by a head at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. He should be fitter after that last race and will be closing late. Will he be closing too late though?
3. Metaboss (8-1 ML) – He broke his maiden last time out with the switch to Rafael Bejarano as the jockey. That race was at this 1 1/8 miles distance where he had a strong surge in the stretch to win by a length and a half over the Santa Anita turf course. There is always the worry of how a horse will handle a new surface, but given his turf performances, this surface should not be too much of a problem. He is an intriguing horse in this spot, though Alex Solis will have the mount in this race.
4. Ernest Shackleton (12-1 ML) – He started his career in Ireland where it took him 4 starts to break his maiden in September and did so in a dead heat. After 3 months off, he was shipped to Santa Anita where he finished 7th of 11 in the Eddie Logan. He rebounded last time out to win by a half length in an optional claiming $80,000. The feeling here is that he is a step behind the top horses at this level.
5. Cross The Line (5-1 ML) – He has 4 starts and all have come here at Golden Gate. When stretched out to a mile on December 26, he crushed the maiden field by 4 1/2 lengths. He followed that up with another victory in the Cal Derby on January 17 where he beat horses that he will face on Saturday in Soul Driver and Stand and Salute. He is hard to ignore here in this spot.
6. Harmonic (20-1 ML) – He started his career in Southern California where he ran off the board to begin his career. His third start was a disaster when he clipped heels and fell. Unhurt, he returned a month later to finish third by 2 lengths. He broke his maiden here at Golden Gate by a length and three quarters under Russell Baze. He may outrun his odds, but he is still up against some of the top contenders in this race.
7. Soul Driver (6-1 ML) – His first start was an 11th place finish before a switch to turf and two turns woke him up in his second start. He won that start by a head before finishing fifth in the grade 3 Cecil B. Demille at Del Mar. His last 2 races have produced back-to-back second place finishes, including the Cal Derby at Golden Gate last time out. He is another in here with a chance to win.
8. Stand and Salute (6-1 ML) – He is another one who exits the Cal Derby. He finished third that day by 2 lengths and won the Gold Rush two starts back at one mile here. He will be in good position and should have a say in the outcome. Yet another horse who can win this race.
9. Conquest Typhoon (7-2 ML) – The tepid morning line favorite has done his running at Woodbine and Southern California. He started his career with back-to-back second place finishes before breaking his maiden in the grade 2 Summer. His final start at Woodbine was the grade 3 Grey Stakes in which he finished second by 2 1/4 lengths. Two starts back he was fourth in the grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf before winning the grade 3 Cecil B. Demille. He certainly has the class edge in this race and is a deserving morning line favorite.
10. Mischief Clem (9-2 ML) – He is 3 for 6 in his career with five of the starts coming against fellow California bred horses. His first route race was at Los Alamitos going a mile where he finished fourth that day. Last time out he was winning the Cal Cup Derby going a mile and a sixteenth against California breds by a head. The post position does him no favors, but he has some time to find a good spot by the first turn.
Selections
This is a tough race with many different ways to go. #9 Conquest Typhoon is the class of the race and will be tough in here. #5 Cross the Line has won his last two starts here at Golden Gate, both of which came at a mile or longer. #3 Metaboss is an intriguing last out maiden winner who could relish the longer distances. #7 Soul Driver will by rallying late while #2 Indianaughty, #8 Stand and Salute, and #10 Mischief Clem could also finish on the board, if not win outright.
1. Conquest Typhoon
2. Cross The Line
3. Metaboss
4. Soul Driver