Endlessly (Oscar Performance) got back in the winner's circle and earned himself a trip to the Triple Crown's middle jewel with a win in Saturday's El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate. Having gone three for three to start his career, including wins in both the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. and the GIII Zuma Beach S., the son of Oscar Performance tried his hand at the top level but came up empty when eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last November. Nominated to the Triple Crown series despite never having started on anything but the grass, Endlessly took the synthetic surface at Golden Gate with style. Breaking from the outside, the 3-5 favorite had only one rival beat passing the wire the first time by and he remained in a trailing position into the backstretch as several longshots traded turns on the lead. Put to a ride by Umberto Rispoli into the far turn, Endlessly responded in kind and began to eat into the leader's advantage to be amongst the top trio as the field swung into the stretch. With a late charge down the center of the track, the colt secured the win.
One of six stakes winners for Oscar Perfomance, Endlessly is out of a half-sister to the dams of GISW Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW Admission Office (Point of Entry) and MGSP Royal Fury (Langfuhr). Dream Fuhrever produced this runner's full-brother last year.
EL CAMINO REAL DERBY, $101,350, Golden Gate Fields, 2-10, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.68, ft.
1–ENDLESSLY, 122, c, 3, by Oscar Performance
1st Dam: Dream Fuhrever, by Langfuhr
2nd Dam: Society Dream (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
3rd Dam: Society Bride, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
O/B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $60,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 5-4-0-0, $299,200.
2–Tapalo, 122, r, 3, Tapiture–Agent Romanoff, by Empire Maker. ($40,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN; $20,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG; $55,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Saratoga Glen Farm, LLC (NY); T-John W. Sadler. $20,000.
3–Guy Named Joe, 122, c, 3, American Pharoah–Hungry Island, by More Than Ready. ($280,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-My Way Racing LLC, West Coast Stables, LLC, Barbara Evenson, John O'Keefe and Timothy O'Keefe; B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, 4. Odds: 0.70, 3.70, 3.60.
Also Ran: Old Triangle, Grogu, Come Out Fighting, Arctic Breeze, Wild Jewels.
#6 ENDLESSLY ($3.40) rallied down the stretch to win Golden Gate's $100,000 EL Camino Real Derby and earn a Preakness Stakes berth.
This is the third stakes victory for the Amerman Racing homebred , who was ridden by @umpyrispoli for @mwmracing. pic.twitter.com/5qJjwdVl9w
— TVG (@TVG) February 11, 2024
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