By Alan Carasso
East Coast-based horses had won the GI Hollywood Derby in six of the last eight years and three of the last four, but it was a California 1-2 in Saturday's renewal at Del Mar, as William and Suzanne Warren's Formidable Man (City of Light) parlayed a perfect trip in the box seat into a clear-cut victory over King of Gosford (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}).
'TDN Rising Star' Donegal Momentum (Uncle Mo) broke best of all and led the Hollywood Derby field down the chute, but Rothschild (Uncle Mo)–also ridden positively by Flavien Prat–had command linking up with the course proper before the New Yorker asserted again and was back in front passing the six-furlong peg. Formidable Man, looking to add this to his victory in the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 1, was alertly into stride for Umberto Rispoli and secured the coveted spot on the back of the front-runner, while King of Gosford traveled about two lengths behind Formidable Man while also saving every inch of ground.
Committed to an all-the way try by Javier Castellano, Donegal Momentum got the opening half in a manageable :47.84 and was niggled along three furlongs out as Rothschild tried to pour the pressure on. The latter was soon off the bridle, and that gave Rispoli the opening he was looking for, as he went for Formidable Man in earnest on the swing for home. Donegal Momentum wasn't done quite yet, as he continued to hold the call into the final furlong, but Formidable Man had all the answers, as he pushed past the stubborn front-runner with about 100 yards to race and held firm. King of Gosford followed the winner's move into the lane, switched off heels and was up on the line to touch Donegal Momentum out of second. Del Mar Derby and GII Twilight Derby runner-up Stay Hot (Summer Front) rallied inside for fourth, while favored Carson's Run (Cupid) offered a mild rally to be fifth after covering ground on the turn.
“He had a fantastic trip,” said winning trainer Michael McCarthy. “I had said to Umberto (jockey Rispoli) maybe we go ahead and bounce out of there early. I wasn't sure what to make of the pace. On paper it didn't look like there was going to be a ton. Glad to see we were sitting where we were just behind the speed. He always looked like he was threatening to run a big one. A hole opened up and he exploded.”
Formidable Man rounded out a $1,324 exacta underneath the Rispoli-ridden Trikari (Oscar Performance) after making the majority of the running in the GII American Turf at Churchill May 5, but ballooned to sixth in the June 1 Audubon Stakes in Louisville. Returned to the Golden State, the $375,000 Keeneland September yearling rallied from off the speed to post a 1 1/2-length success in the restricted Oceanside Stakes over a mile July 20 and was a bit handier to the pace when besting Stay Hot by a half-length in the local Derby over course and distance on Sept. 1.
The Warrens campaigned City of Light with Michael McCarthy to victories in the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and a swan-songing success in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational. The Warrens also raced 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam.
Pedigree Notes:
Formidable Man is the second elite-level winner for City of Light, joining 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness, who added this year's GI Curlin Florida Derby and GI Travers Stakes to the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
A Grade II winner and Grade I-placed on the turf on the Southern California circuit, Fanticola has thrown four winners from four to the races, with Formidable Man clearly the best of them.
Clear Creek Stud purchased the mare for $60,000 in foal to Flatter at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale and the 2-year-old colt Cc Cola is currently in training at Delta Downs, having breezed a half-mile as recently as Saturday. The mare's current yearling, a filly by Knicks Go, was bought back for $97,000 at the Breeders' Sales Company of Louisiana Yearling Sale in late September and she is also the dam of a weanling filly by Jack Christopher. Fanticola is due to Clear Creek's Star Guitar for her 2025 produce.
Saturday, Del Mar
HOLLYWOOD DERBY-GI, $303,000, Del Mar, 11-30, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.40, fm.
1–FORMIDABLE MAN, 122, c, 3, by City of Light
1st Dam: Fanticola (GSW & GISP, $561,986), by Silent Name (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Catalina Cat, by Tabasco Cat
3rd Dam: Irish Dear, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Suzanne & William K. Warren, Jr.; B-Town & Country Horse Farms, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-2-0, $637,425. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–King of Gosford (GB), 122, c, 3, Zoustar (Aus)–Miss Sugars (GB), by Harbour Watch (Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (32,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Jeremy Peskoff; B-The Miss Sugars Partnership (GB); T-Philip D'Amato. $60,000.
3–Donegal Momentum, 122, c, 3, Uncle Mo–Moon Dash, by Malibu Moon. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Donegal Racing; B-Speedway Stable (KY); T-Thomas Morley. $36,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, NO. Odds: 5.30, 5.10, 3.30.
Also Ran: Stay Hot, Carson's Run, British Isles, Atitlan, Twirling Point, Cathal (Ire), Rothschild, Heart Headed. Scratched: Chatalas, Tirupati.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Under the guidance of @umbyrispoli, #6 FORMIDABLE MAN ($12.60) won the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar.
Another winner for @lanesendfarms City of Light on the @mwmracing-trainee. pic.twitter.com/SfoDjvphKZ
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 1, 2024
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
