Denied as the heavy favorite at Colonial Downs by the undefeated Integration (Quality Road) in the GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby last time out Sept. 9, Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) got back on track to take his fourth win in five starts in the GI Hollywood Derby.
A winner of his first three starts, the Chad Brown trainee reached the pinnacle two starts back with a narrow victory over Webslinger (Constitution) on a lucky on-the-turf weekend in Saratoga in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 5. Given a rest after being run down late in that Virginia Derby, the Klaravich Stables entry shipped west to enjoy closing weekend at Del Mar and lined up opposite Webslinger once more as the 4-5 favorite.
From the far outer gate, Program Trading broke alongside his uncoupled stablemate Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and the two Klaravich runners both took back off the early speed out of the chute as a trio of runners battled for first call. With just a single rival behind him, the favorite took his time through a :23.17 opening quarter as Charlie Appleby's Godolphin runner Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) paced the group. A group of five runners raced bunched together up the backstretch while the pair of Saratoga Derby runners were several lengths off the speed but the pack began to come together into the far turn as the half went in :47.19. Tipped out into the far turn, Program Trading picked it up under Flavien Prat as Redistricting blew the turn and was pulled up to his outside. Now suddenly with plenty of room to run, the bay quickly found himself third while three wide for the lead with a furlong to run. Webslinger fired a threatening shot close to home but Program Trading just held on to deny his rival once more by nearly the exact same margin.
“He was actually pretty relaxed before the race,” said Prat. “We had a good trip; the pace was pretty fair. He relaxed well, he had a good turn of foot. Luckily there was a horse in front of me that bolted around the turn so I had a clear path. As soon as I asked him to make a run, he was there for me. I think he will still improve. He has run well every time.”
With the win, trainer Chad Brown tied Charlie Whittingham with a fourth Hollywood Derby while owner Klaravich Stable picked up a record third win in the closing-weekend feature.
Pedigree Note:
Program Trading is one of two winners from two to race out of a half-sister to G2 Park Hill S. winner and G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. runner-up Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and full-sister to Andrew Rosen's Fashion Fund (GB). His third dam was the 2002 champion 3-year-old filly in England, highlighted by a 4 1/2-length win in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Dreamlike is the dam of the a 2-year-old filly by Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and a yearling filly by Pinatubo (Ire) who sold for 260,000gns at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and was exported to the United States. She last reported a weanling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).
Saturday, Del Mar
HOLLYWOOD DERBY-GI, $301,000, Del Mar, 12-2, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.82, fm.
1–PROGRAM TRADING (GB), 122, r, 3, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Dreamlike (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: So Silk (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Gossamer (GB), by Sadler's Wells
(250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown;
J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $695,250.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Webslinger, 122, g, 3, Constitution–Arana, by Hard Spun.
($45,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $25,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $45,000
RNA 2yo '22 OBSAPR; $50,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-D. J. Stable
LLC; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$60,000.
3–Silver Knott (GB), 122, g, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–God Given
(GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). (725,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT).
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-Charles
Appleby. $36,000.
Margins: NK, 2 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.90, 3.80, 4.80.
Also Ran: Watsonville, Santorini, Reiquist, Redistricting (GB). Scratched: Maltese Falcon (Ire), Seal Team (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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